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The Government's priorities 2006-2016
The Government's priorities for the next decade are economic transformation, families young and old, and national identity. The Government has also announced sustainability priorities to underpin all its programmes, with a goal of New Zealand becoming the world's first truly sustainable nation.
Economic transformation focuses on transforming New Zealand to a high income, knowledge-based market economy which is both innovative and creative and provides a unique quality of life to all New Zealanders. Economic transformation includes sub-themes of environmental sustainability, world class infrastructure, and Auckland as an internationally competitive city.
Much of our work supports the priority of economic transformation. In particular, the climate change work programme, sustainable business initiatives, and sustainable water programme of action contribute to building a prosperous New Zealand as well as to environmental sustainability.
Families young and old focuses on providing families with the support and choices they need to be secure and to be able to reach their full potential within our knowledge-based economy. Our new work programme to encourage household sustainable living will provide families with the information they need to make decisions based on environmental sustainability. Related work to promote clean heating in homes will reduce air pollution and ensure homes are warmer, which has health benefits for families.
National identity focuses on enabling New Zealanders to be able to take pride in who and what we are, through our arts, culture, film, sports and music, our appreciation of our natural environment, our understanding of our history, and our stance on international issues.
Wherever we live, most New Zealanders feel close to the natural environment - the mountains, beaches, bush and stunning landscapes matter to us. New Zealand's diverse and stunning landscapes, our flora and fauna are part of our national identity. Protecting and preserving the natural environment is the basis of all the Ministry's work. In particular, our work programmes aimed at achieving healthy air, land and water, preserving biodiversity on private land and responding to the risks of climate change support this government priority.
The Government sees environmental sustainability as becoming central to New Zealand's national identity and how we should project ourselves to the world. It is calling for a commitment to greater sustainability in New Zealand's resource use and way of life.
In February 2007 the Government established a number of new sustainability priorities that aim to improve sustainability in the public service, business and households. These are:
- moving the public service towards carbon neutrality
- using government procurement to help achieve sustainability
- supporting households to become more sustainable
- supporting business sustainability
- moving towards using cleaner-burning biofuels
- improving waste minimisation and management.
The Ministry for the Environment is working with the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet to lead and coordinate this programme of initiatives. We are working with many other government agencies on the work programmes that support these priorities.
