26 January 2015

Warts and all expose of Taranaki’s oil and gas

Taranaki’s relationship with oil and gas will be examined at an Environmental and Conservation Organisations of Aotearoa New Zealand (ECO) gathering this weekend.

Held at Muru Raupatu Marae in Bell Block, more than 60 people have registered to be part of discussing “Taranaki’s Beauty and the Beast – Community issues with Fossil Fuels and Climate Change”. The hui will bring tangata whenua, individuals and environmental groups from across the region and the country to witness and discuss the state of our environment and a better way forward.

Organiser Catherine Cheung of Climate Justice Taranaki said it was an opportunity to see first-hand the reality of living alongside oil and gas fields and to learn more about fracking.

Saturday would involve a field trip and there would be sessions on health and legal issues, upskilling workshops on campaigning and RMA reform, plus sharing experience on community networking throughout the weekend.

Sustainable Whanganui Trust is also helping organise the gathering, with representatives from local iwi, Forest & Bird, Greenpeace, Oil-Free Otago, Oil-Free Wellington, Generation Zero, Climate Justice Aotearoa and Coal Action Network, as well as locally-affected landowners.

All groups shared the same belief that a speedy transition away from dependence on fossil fuels, while maintaining and securing sustainable social and economic conditions for local communities and significantly reducing environmental and health risks, was necessary for New Zealand’s long-term future.

Ms Cheung said late registrations were possible at www.climatejusticetaranaki.info.

ENDS

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