Conservation
New Zealand First plans to halt all 1080 usage and replace with trapping. This is estimated to cost the taxpayer an additional $129m each year, which includes deducting the savings from stopping 1080 drops.
The Green Party has proposed a new tourist levy, of which 75% will go towards Predator Free New Zealand funding (expected to raise $58m per annum). A string of farming policies will cost $473m over three years. This includes a new nitrogen tax raising $392m to be spent on sustainable farming projects, $210m on a sustainable farming partnership, as well as $280m in savings from cancelling unappropriated irrigation funding.
By 2020, the Green Party intends to spend an additional $630m per year on payments to forestry owners and $990m in a universal payment to all working-age New Zealanders. These two new spending promises are to be funded from carbon charges (to be partially offset by reductions in carbon credit revenue. These policies will be transitioned in, with 2018 being status quo and 2019 a partial implementation. For lack of clarity, we have conservatively estimated that 50 percent of the new spending will kick n by 2019. In addition, a new Climate Commission is estimated to cost $6m per year.
Labour has also proposed a tourism levy, expected to generate $75m per year to be spent on tourism and conservation infrastructure.
United Future proposes a Freshwater Research Fund of $10m per year.
National has committed an additional $54m to Predator Free New Zealand and $44m in new grants to clean up New Zealand rivers.
The Labour Party’s proposed water tax lacks specific detail as of yet to be completely sure as to its economic magnitude. However, based on a tax of 2 cents per 1000 litres, the estimated revenue will be approximately $100 million per year.
Art, Culture and Heritage
New Zealand First plan to reintroduce a non-commercial public sector TV channel at a cost of $45m over three years.
The Green Party will increase Radio New Zealand funding by $3.2m per year, and open a ‘Public Interest Journalism Fund’ costing $3m per year.
The National Party will spend $1.1m on a Stewart Island Heritage Centre.
Tourism
The Green Party have committed $19m per year, or 25% of the proposed tourism levy, to go towards tourism facilities grant fund.