✨ Speech from the Throne
9 NOVEMBER 2005
NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE, No. 187
4707
Honourable Members,
One of the most distinctive features of the emerging New Zealand way is our sense of national identity, confidence, and creativity.
New Zealanders are holding their own alongside the best writers, musicians, and artists anywhere in the world. Our communities now fully embrace and support their creative members. We New Zealanders expect to see our stories and perspectives reflected on our airwaves, on film screens, in our literature, and throughout the creative spectrum.
My government will continue to support the creative sectors, knowing that they are helping to profile New Zealand very positively in the wider world, and that they play a critical role in nation building.
New Zealand has also gained enormous benefit from the many achievements of our sportsmen and women. My government will continue to work with the sports sector to build on its achievements and to increase participation of New Zealanders in physical activity. In this regard my government will support the Department of Conservation putting increased emphasis on opportunities for physical recreation in the outdoors.
New Zealand’s sense of national identity is also underpinned by our position as an independent and principled player on the world stage.
My government will continue to ensure that New Zealand contributes positively to the resolution of the many challenges our world faces. Resourcing for our diplomatic, aid, and defence infrastructure is being significantly increased to that end.
My government is also committed to maintaining the quality of our environment and the preservation of New Zealand’s unique biodiversity.
Clean air, open space, and good water quality are seen as part of our birthright. Yet our reality does not always conform to this ideal.
A vision and strategy for ensuring long term water quality and management will be developed. National policy statements and national environmental standards will be used to achieve the desired goals.
My government will continue to implement the New Zealand Waste Strategy and provide extra funding for the Contaminated Sites Remediation Fund.
My government will also continue to work with local authorities to improve the working of the Resource Management Act. Recent amendments to the Act should lead to significant improvements, and my government will ensure that the potential gains are achieved.
Climate change is a big threat to New Zealand’s land-based industries. The evidence worldwide of the adverse impact of human activity on climate is now overwhelming. My government believes it is important for New Zealand to move with the mainstream of international opinion in finding solutions to this problem.
Next Page →
Online Sources for this page:
VUW Te Waharoa —
NZ Gazette 2005, No 187
Gazette.govt.nz —
NZ Gazette 2005, No 187
✨ LLM interpretation of page content
🏛️
Speech from the Throne at the State Opening of Parliament
(continued from previous page)
🏛️ Governance & Central Administration8 November 2005
Governor-General, Parliament, State Opening, National Identity, Creative Sectors, Sports, Environment, Biodiversity, Water Quality, Resource Management Act, Climate Change