John Key refuses to meet Kaikoura stop deep sea oil community

This Saturday and Sunday, the Blue Greens (the National Party's advisory group on environmental issues) are having their annual conference in Kaikoura.

Spokesperson for Te Runanga o Kaikoura, Gina Solomon said, “Members of Te Korowai o Te Tai o Marokura were invited to attend a hui at Takahanga Marae by the Minister of Conservation, Hon Nick Smith, for the announcement of the (government) response to our Kaikoura Marine Strategy.”

It is understood that Hon Amy Adams, the Minister for the Environment and, Hon Prime Minister, John Key will be in attendance at the 9:30 hui on Sunday morning. The Prime Minister, his cabinet, and other attendees plan to go whale watching directly after the hui.

Last week No Drill Kaikoura, a local organisation concerned about the risks of deep sea oil exploration, requested John Key attend a public forum while he was in town to discuss the issue of deep sea oil, but he declined. No Drill now invites the community to bring their banners and placards to Churchill park at 10:30am on Sunday the 16th to message the Prime Minister and his cabinet directly as they leave the hui. Further actions for the day will be announced at Churchill Park.

Lynda Kitchingham, a spokesperson for No Drill Kaikoura who was a member of Te Korowai for five years said, “representatives from the Kaikoura Community have put ten or so years of hard work into a conservation strategy for the region to which the government will be presenting its response next weekend. The Vision of Te Korowai is, 'By perpetuating the mauri and wairua of Te Tai O Marokura, the community act as kaitiaki of Tangaroa’s taonga to achieve a flourishing, rich and healthy environment, where opportunities abound to sustain the needs of present and future generations...' I will be very interested to see how this government manages to ‘spin’ compatibility of this Vision with deep sea oil drilling and seismic testing on the doorstep."

Maurice Manawatu, first chairperson of Te Korowai said, “It just seems so incompatible to be promoting oil exploration in the very canyon that feeds directly into the proposed, marine reserve, marine mammal sanctuary and World Heritage site."

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