Submission process ‘unfair’
The head of the industry body representing Taranaki’s oil and gas companies has criticised the time frame the Government has allowed for people to make submissions on the proposed changes to the Crown Minerals Act.
Earlier in the year the Government announced its intention to stop offshore drilling, a move which requires changes to the Act that need to go through a select committee.
But Pepanz boss Cameron Madgwick, who was in New Plymouth yesterday, said the process was ‘‘completely unfair’’.
Usually the process took six months, but this time people only had two weeks to put in a submission, he said.
‘‘The process here is completely unfair. Two weeks is not a long enough time period by which anybody can make a meaningful submission.
‘‘Today we’ve been encouraging as many people as possible to make a submission on the Crown Minerals Act. There’s a very short time frame to do that – submissions close on Thursday [October
11] and we think it is very important that the voices of Taranaki are heard so we’re generating as much interest as we possible can.’’
They had set up a new website – energyvoicesnz – to simplify the submission process, he said.
‘‘The Government needs to receive the submissions in a particular way, so we are trying to make that as easy as possible.
‘‘We also feel very strongly that the decision the Government made around oil and gas wasn’t the right decision. ‘‘Taranaki people we’ve spoken to, both people who are in the industry directly or who are indirectly involved or who have businesses in town, are really concerned that this is going to have real effects on them. The feeling is this is being rushed. It’s not going to do what it’s trying to achieve and it’s going to cost a lot of money.’’
In an emailed statement Energy and Resources Minister Megan Woods said: ‘‘Given the need to proceed with Block Offer 2018 under these new settings in a prompt manner, we’ve proposed that this bill will have a fourweek select committee process to enable the public and industry to have their say on the changes and ensuring that tender documents for the offer will be made available in early 2019.
‘‘This bill is the first tranche of a review of the Crown Minerals Act and is only to give effect to the Government’s decision about oil and gas permits. Tranche two
will be a much wider review of the Act that will enable stakeholders to take part in future-proofing the Crown Minerals Act.’’
Also yesterday, Climate Justice Taranaki researcher Catherine Cheung was with seven others protesting outside an oil company.
They did it every week, she said.
‘‘Climate change is getting very, very serious and we are desperate to get off fossil fuels and move onto more sustainable energy systems and a better, healthier future for everybody and the planet.’’
She had started writing her submission and did not support the whole bill because it continued to allow onshore exploration, she said.
‘‘We do support the bill, but not 100 per cent. It continues to allow onshore exploration in Taranaki and allows them to drill under conservation land.’’
Cheung agreed the timeframe was too short, but said they were onto the topic.
Meanwhile, in an emailed statement, New Plymouth mayor Neil Holdom said the New Plymouth District Council was working on a submission to the bill.
The ‘‘entire country’’ needs to have an opportunity to contribute to a well-thought-out plan which clearly explains the costs, the benefits, the assumptions and the alternatives for each of the challenges around oil and gas exploration.
‘‘This will be a pretty big job but we are happy to help.’’
New Plymouth MP Jonathan Young is holding a meeting at the Plymouth Hotel next Monday at 4pm to advise people how to lodge a submission.