Media Release
4 June 2014

HBRC welcomes second report into oil and gas regulation

The Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment (PCE) has released her second report into the regulation of the oil and gas industry in New Zealand.

The report follows an earlier report where the PCE was responding to public concern about the oil and gas industry, in particular the use of hydraulic fracturing.

Hawke’s Bay Regional Council Interim Chief Executive Liz Lambert says the 102 page report will need to be fully considered and reviewed over the coming months, in light of HBRC’s decision from June 2012 to look to change its Regional Resource Management Plan if effects of the oil and gas industry identified in the PCE report are not adequately addressed by its plan.

“HBRC council notes that the commissioner has not seen the need to suggest a moratorium on the oil and gas industry or the practise of hydraulic fracturing,” says Mrs Lambert.

She says HBRC also notes that the commissioner has called for more regulation of the industry and this will be carefully considered against the HBRC decision from 2012 and reported on to Council in due course.

“Council staff will need to fully analyse the report before making any further comment.”

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