Dear John,

While Labour is busy examining the apparent cover-up by the Prime Minister’s Office of a damming email from Stuart Nash, who lost his Cabinet post this week, National is telling New Zealanders what we’ll do to turn the country around if we’re elected to government this year.

In Auckland this morning, I was delighted to announce our plan that will let New Zealand take a big step towards meeting its climate change targets.

Labour talks a big game about climate change and, meanwhile, emissions are increasing and New Zealand is importing and burning about three times more coal than it was under National.

New Zealanders want real action on emissions. So do I, and National will deliver it.

National believes Kiwis should not have to stay home, close down the economy and not travel anywhere in order to achieve New Zealand’s emissions reductions. Instead we need to do things differently.

National wants a future where cars, buses, trains, homes and industry are all powered by electricity made from renewable sources – i.e. water, geothermal energy, the wind and sun.

But to make a big switch to renewable energy, New Zealand needs to produce around twice as much electricity as we do now.

We have the sun and wind to do it, but not the right regulations.

Earlier this week I had an inspiring visit to a wind farm in Wellington that powers 75,000 homes. It took just two years to build but it took eight years to consent. It’s hard to believe, but true. Eight years. That is ridiculous. It turns out that one of the big obstacles to achieving our climate change goals is the Resource Management Act. It adds years and millions of dollars of extra costs on projects.

So today I announced National’s Electrify NZ policy that will cut red tape so consenting becomes far faster for renewable power projects like wind farms.

National will:

• Turbo-charge new renewable power projects including solar, wind and geothermal by requiring decisions on resource consents to be issued in one year and consents to last for 35 years.
• Unleash investment in transmission and local lines by eliminating consents for upgrades to existing infrastructure and most new infrastructure.

Renewable energy is New Zealand’s greatest asset for delivering its climate change commitments. We have to make it easier to build and maintain generation, transmission and local lines, and National will do exactly that.

I’m proud of Electrify NZ. It will cut red tape to deliver green energy so all New Zealanders can use affordable, clean electricity. That way, we can grow the economy and lower emissions at the same time. Later, I’ll be announcing another part of Electrify NZ, and more climate change policy.

We will keep on talking about the things that matter, and tell you how you’ll get ahead under a National government.

Have a good weekend,
Christopher

PS. you can read the full policy document here.