Moana
MACKEY
Environment Spokesperson
26 November 2013 MEDIA STATEMENT
Poor Government management blamed for legal challenge

Greenpeace's announcement that it intends to challenge the Environmental Protection Authority's (EPA) decision to allow Anadarko to carry out deep sea drilling off the Raglan coast is the direct result of poor Government management and shoddy law-making, says Labour's Environment spokesperson Moana Mackey.

"The Exclusive Economic Zone law and associated regulations are deliberately permissive and subsequent amendments to the regulatory framework have been rushed and not well thought out.

"The process has been a shambles from start to finish and has done nothing to allay genuine public concerns that the environmental risks are being appropriately assessed and managed.

"The claims being made by environmental NGOs which form the basis of this court case , that the EPA has not viewed key documents submitted by Anadarko as required under the EEZ Act , are deeply concerning. Regulators must act within the law and it helps no one when they fail to do so.

"Rushing to put a regulatory framework in place is not good practice if the regulator, in this case the EPA, does not have its head around the detail of that framework.

"The Government is desperate to expedite deep sea oil and gas exploration because they have no Plan B for regional economic development. However they should slow down until they can reassure communities that the consenting regime is robust, the regulator up to speed, and the emergency response capability adequate.”

ENDS

© Scoop Media