New Zealand's renewable energy sector loses budgetary support

Labour’s Energy and Climate Change spokesperson Moana Mackey said that New Zealand’s 2012 budget has no commitment to support and grow renewable energy technologies. Mackey said that while the renewable energy sector is at the forefront of cutting edge technology, provides jobs and helps reduce the country’s dependence on fossil fuels, no support is forthcoming from the government. “The Government, however, continues to act like the proverbial ostrich over biofuels, to the extent that it has even used the manufactured failure of its own subsidy scheme as an excuse to withdraw support for the industry altogether,” Mackey said. “Reinstating the biofuels obligation would position investment in clean-tech and renewable energy as a government priority,” she added. (May 27, 2012)