Six out of 10 support cash incentives for climate-friendly cars

More than six out of 10 New Zealanders back a policy proposal to provide Government cash grants to people buying fuel efficient, low emission cars.

The representative national poll of 750 people aged 18+, conducted by UMR for the New Zealand Business Council for Sustainable Development, shows solid support for the main elements of a proposal now before Government to make cash payments to climate friendly car buyers.

As petrol prices hit all-time highs, the policy will allow some car buyers to cut their petrol bills by up to half, while also helping the country lower emissions. The policy will also help the Government tackle its $1 billion Kyoto carbon credit deficit.

The policy includes $2000 cash penalties for those buying cars guzzling 14 L of petrol per 100 km or more.

The aim is to spur a change in the one of the world's oldest and least efficient vehicle fleets, while also moving to protect the quality of life in New Zealand.

The Business Council who 51 member companies advocate business should be profitable while contributing to ecological balance and social progress believes its policy could see 43% of the car fleet become climate friendly over the next 10 years.

The cash grants policy would launch the first major assault to lower the country's green house gas emissions.

The poll shows 61% support cash grants for people registering used climate friendly used imported cars. Only 20% oppose.

On cash grants ranging up to $3000 for new cars on first registration in New Zealand, and a $2000 penalty on new gas guzzlers, there is 55% support. Only 24% oppose the idea.

The poll shows the main political parties will find the policy popular with a majority of their supporters, the climate friendly imports policy is supported by:

• 85% of those saying they intend voting Green;
• 71% of Labor voters;
• 53% of National voters;
• 45% of New Zealand First voters.

Support among party voters for the cash grants and penalties policy for new cars is:

• Green voters 68%;
• Labour voters 60%;
• National voters 51%;
• New Zealand First voters 50%.

Business Council Chief Executive Peter Neilson says the poll shows there is a solid nationwide backing for measures which let Kiwis reap the financial, health and climate benefits of cleaning up one of the world's oldest and dirtiest car fleets.

"Our passenger vehicle fleet is one of the oldest in the world. The average age is 11.7 years. That compares with 10.1 years in Australia and only 6.3 years in the UK. On top of that we own more cars per head than most other countries in the world: 580 per 1000 people. Even the United States has only 481 per 1000.

"Every time we import a new gas guzzler we have the problem for the next 20 years. While higher petrol prices are crunching the prices of crunching the prices of gas guzzlers, they still stay in use. So we need to make sure the cars we do import also have long term benefits from better fuel efficiency and lower emissions.

"Political leaders can take a great deal of comfort from out latest polling: if they implement this policy they'll have solid support from every region and main centre, the rural areas, and from voters of every political hue.

"For the Business Council it's very heartening to reaffirm that Kiwis are down to earth people who want to maintain the country's quality of life, especially for their children, and they'll back balanced commonsense policies to achieve that."

The number of vehicles qualifying under the grants scheme is steadily expanding and now includes about 29 models from nearly all major car makers.