Press release from Paul McMahon - Spreydon-Heathcote Community Board Member

At today's Christchurch City Council meeting the Councillors unanimously supported a motion put forward by People's Choice (Labour) Spreydon-Heathcote Community Board Member Paul McMahon and declared the City a "fracking free zone", making the city the first to take the symbolic step in New Zealand and, possibly, in the world

"I am absolutely rapt," said McMahon, "I am immensely proud of our city and our Council today: to be the first city in the country to be declared a fracking free zone is a huge symbolic achievement. This will hopefully go alongside being the first city in New Zealand to be declared nuclear-free as an historic moment. I hope the rest of New Zealand's community boards and Councils will follow us too.

"This is a moment to celebrate our local democracy at its best; this is why local government is important and should be strengthened rather than weakened: we have a central government who are completely disregarding significant community concern, who have dismissed the significance of our board and the Council writing to them asking for a moratorium. This is the people of Christchurch telling the government that no means no.

"I am convinced that fracking is a threat to our Cantabrian way of life - the very air we breath, the water we drink and the life of the land itself: it will all be in peril if we do not stand up and say no to fracking. Australian, Canadian and American experiences show us that our rural communities are at risk even more than the cities - their air, their water, their land and their infrastructure will suffer hugely if we allow fracking in.

"I am delighted that our city has taken this step and I hope that Wellington listens: we don't want them imposing decisions on us - we want to determine our own future. I want to encourage the rest of New Zealand to say no to fracking too, and to declare their streets, suburbs, wards, towns, cities and regions Fracking Free Zones," said McMahon.

ENDS