Submit now, to make sure that the Government’s proposed oil and gas exploration ban becomes law.
Submissions close on Thursday 11 October.
Already know what you want to submit? Get started!
The Government has just introduced a Bill to change the Crown Minerals Act, to bring the ban on new offshore oil and gas permits into law.
It’s not perfect, but it’s a big step forward. International oil companies, and the local fossil fuel lobby that dances to their tune, will be trying to weaken and defeat the Bill. They plan to take full advantage of the freedom the Bill, in its present form, would give them to mine and drill using existing permits – which is why we want the Bill to revoke these existing permits, too!
Together, we need to make sure the Government know that the people of New Zealand support them on this. That way, they can resist the desperate delaying tactics of the oil industry, and do the right thing.
Make your online submission here
As we said, the Bill’s not perfect. In particular, it condemns the land and people of Taranaki to many more years of exploitation – because onshore exploration in Taranaki is still permitted under these amendments.
So we suggest that, in your submission, you call for the Bill to be strengthened, as Greenpeace suggests below:
“The purpose of this amendment is action on climate change. This purpose must be clearly expressed, and the amendment in its entirety must be consistent with the international science on climate change.
This means the Bill should go further than currently drafted and:
1. Expressly state that there will be no new petroleum prospecting, exploration or mining permits granted anywhere offshore or onshore in New Zealand. This must include onshore Taranaki, or, at a very minimum, limit the availability of new permits in this region to the period 2018-2020, to properly reflect the Government’s decision of 12 April 2018.
2. Revoke all existing petroleum prospecting and exploration permits. At an absolute minimum, the Bill must make clear that existing exploration permits will not be extended and make climate change a mandatory consideration for the Minister when considering matters relating to existing exploration permits.
3. Repeal the ‘Anadarko Amendment’ found in section 101A-C of the Act. These sections are inconsistent with the democratic rights of freedom of expression and peaceful protest and were introduced following an undemocratic process.”
This is our chance to strike a big blow against the climate-destroying fossil fuel industry. Let’s make sure we back the Government to take decisive action.
Submit now – and please share this call for submissions with your friends and networks!
Normally I do not read article on blogs, however I
wish to say that this write-up very compelled me to try and
do it! Your writing taste has been amazed me.
Thanks, very nice article.
Thank you for your kind comments.
Cheers,
Rob 4 CANA