$60m cement bailout exposes broken climate policy

"The Government's decision to invest $60 million to keep New Zealand's biggest cement plant operating shows how badly New Zealand's climate policy is working," ACT Climate Change spokesperson Simon Court says.

"ACT supports keeping New Zealand's biggest cement plant operating, but the fact taxpayers have been asked to step in shows the state has created a problem of its own making.

"Successive Governments piled emissions costs onto local production, put it at a disadvantage against imported cement, then handed Fletcher Building $60 million to keep the plant open.

"Instead of forcing businesses to rely on taxpayer support, successive Governments should fix the rules that made local manufacturing uncompetitive. New Zealand should reward efficient local production, not make it easier to import higher-emissions products from overseas.

"Steel mills, cement plants and other energy-intensive industries invest for decades, not election cycles. They need predictable rules before they'll commit billions of dollars to New Zealand.

"Getting the settings right means keeping jobs here, encouraging investment, and reducing global emissions instead of simply shifting production to countries with weaker environmental standards.

"New Zealand doesn't have to choose between manufacturing and the environment. We need climate policy that supports both.

"That's why ACT is campaigning to reset New Zealand's climate targets so they lower power bills, protect jobs, keep industry in New Zealand, and reduce global emissions instead of exporting them."