Speech: Biofuels

In the Maori Party we live by a belief that our people are our greatest wealth.
And so it is, in thinking of the biofuels bill that our thoughts inevitably turn to the late Mountford Te Mana o Te Rangi Retemeyer.
Monte was one of those men whose footprints are everywhere.
Deeply committed to the marae of Maketu, Parawera, Aruka and Te Koraha; he also had time to be chairman of the Waikato Maori District Council, vice-chair of Tainui-Kawhia Forestry Incorporation; Director of Protac Investments; trustee for Aramiro Ahu Whenua trust; chairman of the Kawhia Moana Habour Committee; chairman of the Parawera Maori Culture Group, schools, councils, prisons – in fact every aspect of community life.
But it was his role as chairman of the major Waikato based incorporation, Taharoa C Block, that has particularly inspired me. Taharoa C Block is a multi-million dollar incorporation, with about 1500 shareholders, set up under Te Ture Whenua Maori Act 1993.
And so when Taharoa C Block presented to the select committee on the Biofuel Bill, it is a submission that bears the legacy of Monte Retemeyer; it is a submission worth listening to.
They told the committee that the Bill has the potential to make an important contribution to climate change.
It is advice they are well equipped to give.
Taharoa C Block is in a partnership arrangement with Te Runanga o Ngai Tahu, focusing on Maori-owned land as the context for exploring the potential of a sustainable biofuel supply.
If anyone knows much about the quality of some of our Maori-owned land, it would be evident that most of this land is pretty marginal for food production, so it will be of great interest to see how this project fares.
The project, funded by FORST to the tune of four million dollars, involves a partnership with the fuel company, Chevron, as a principal industry partner. It involves growing plants for biodiesel feedstock that doesn’t require valuable agricultural land.
Taharoa C Block in the North and Te Runanga o Ngai Tahu in the South, will provide the technical input and the field trial management to get the project going.
The focus is to apply a variety of ecological and agronomy engineering methods to produce affordable, low impact fuels, that are also ethically sound.
It all sounds a bit too good to be true.
Te Runanga o Ngai Tahu, alongside of Taharoa, see the value of being involved in an entirely new and sustainable industry as opening up opportunities for grassroots Maori landowners in Te Wai Pounamu.
And its not like either entity is a newcomer to innovation.
Taharoa has already been exploring other sources of renewable energy through their wind power and energy crops. Both organisations have been concerned that the environment must not be damaged in the process, and importantly, they are keen to ensure that they are not putting more energy in than comes out.
This hits at perhaps the greatest issue with biofuel production.
The simple reason for bio-fuel market failure is the rising cost of fossil fuels – crude oil and natural gas – and the pervasive impact these fuels have on the entire economy, including bio-fuel production.
It is all a question of balance.
Modern agriculture is an industrialized system, and large-scale bio-fuel production is dependent on it.
But as the Maori Party has consistently presented to the House, it is essential that when we focus efforts in one area, we don’t compromise another.
Environment and Conservation Organisations on NZ Inc, a national alliance of some 65 groups with a concern for the environment, presented such concerns to the select committee.
They warned the committee that it is essential that development of biofuels does not cause further loss of biodiversity or result in increased greenhouse emissions.
They were able to share developments from the European Union which has announced that it may ban imports of certain biofuels that are produced unsustainably.
If we are to go further down the biofuel track, it is essential that New Zealand does not accept biofuels from sources with exacerbate the destruction of rainforests, or result in net increase in greenhouse emissions.
The Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment, Dr Jan Wright, described the international context in which the debate around the sustainability of biofuels has, in her words, “heated up immensely”.
She urged that the Biofuel Bill not proceed, being particularly concerned about the impacts of importing biofuels while turning a blind eye to the hugely damaging environmental and social impacts occurring in countries like Indonesia and Malaysia.
Dr Wright’s key concern was that importing biofuels would be inconsistent with our clean, green image.
And so we return to Taharoa and Ngai Tahu for our motivation.
The critical question, then is to assess how well the Biofuel Bill will deliver on the two goals of reducing carbon dioxide emissions and increasing the security of our supply of transport energy.
The Select Committee has, through two very comprehensive Order in Councils, recommended amendments to state that specified biofuels must not contravene sustainability principle 2 (above) regarding competition with food production or greenhouse gas emissions.
The Select Committee has suggested that the Bill will be enhanced by including a methodology to assess lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions from engine fuels.
It also recommends the establishment of a methodology to assess the effect of the production of a biofuel on food production and for assessing whether those effects amount to competition.
There are other elements to this which we are pleased to see included.
The Select Committee has recommended the insertion of a mechanism for recognising particular land (including land outside New Zealand) as having high value for food production or conservation.
And they have also introduced a methodology for assessing the effects of the production of a biofuel on indigenous biodiversity and on land of high conservation value.
These are all new initiatives which help us to have confidence that biofuels can be offered tentative support.
We are, however, always conscious that on their own, Biofuels will make only a small contribution to reducing emissions, and to contributing positively to oil price and supply problems in the future.
As oil prices rise, the contribution costs of biofuels will lessen. Some will argue that the use of biodiesels won’t result in any fuel price increases; and we are of the view, that the issue still remains to find new ways to reduce energy consumption; to live differently.
Conventional economics cannot fix this problem. Industrial capitalism as promoted by the major parties, including policies based on building more roads will not lead New Zealand into a low energy future.
How we utilise our natural resources in a sustainable, environmentally considerate manner, is critical in ensuring that all New Zealanders have access to affordable energy resources in a world where shortages will mean escalating prices.
There are many, varied ways of looking at new ways to reduce energy consumption.
We in the Maori Party, promote further development of cheap/free regular, reliable and frequent public transport, telecommuting, fully connected off-road tracks and walk ways.
We have supported improvements to the rail infrastructure to deliver a better service and thereby reduce the number of cars on the road.
Ultimately, it is up to us, to all play our part in reducing our dependence upon over 500,000 everyday oil-based items by developing strategies to reuse, recycle, repair, respect, replace, and trade local.
It is up to us to tread carefully in the footprints of people left by people such as Mountford Te Mana o Te Rangi Retemeyer.
We will support this Bill – as we support us all - to live differently, to reduce carbon dioxide emissions, to look for other sources of supply of energy.