2 September 2011
Climate Justice Taranaki

The Government's new Energy Strategy 2011-2021 is a death knell to NZ's
clean, green and sustainable future. "While Acting Minister Hekia Parata
pays lip service to renewable energy and environmental responsibility for
the so-called "benefit of all New Zealanders", she commits to a wholesale
sell off of our precious natural resources, leaving nothing but scraps and
environmental degradation for our kids." says Emily Bailey of Climate
Justice Taranaki.

The current petroleum permit map (see
http://www.nzpam.govt.nz/cms/petroleum/permits-content ) presents a grim
picture of a country already carved up for the ever hungry fossil fuel
industry. The annual Block Offers proposed for 2012 onwards will leave
little room for top-grade nature-based tourism, organic agriculture,
sustainable fishing and the clean air and healthy environment that we
boast so much about. Many of these sectors are already suffering as the
country's clean, green ethic is being destroyed by 'dirty' big business.

The Energy Strategy is putting all New Zealanders at the mercy of an
increasingly risky global market with companies that put profit and
shareholder interest above all else. The rush to exploit hydrocarbon
resources in on and offshore settings by so many companies at once is
already going far beyond the regulatory and management capacities of
local, regional and national governments.

The dangers from such a short-sighted policy are clear and present, in our
tectonically active and wave battered environment. These include more
offshore oil spills and gas leaks and the poorly controlled injection,
leaking and landfarming of highly toxic chemicals into our soils, rivers,
aquifers and air. Indeed several of the companies responsible for the Gulf
of Mexico oilspill and fracking disasters overseas are now exploring here.

On the global scale, this headlong rush for fossil fuels will see our
emissions continue to increase, taking our planet into a catastrophic
period of climate change with unpredictable storms, floods, drought,
erosion, disease breakouts and social unrest.

"All these risks are taken, simply for a projected short-term increase in
royalties that may or may not be delivered. The bulk of the profit goes
into private hands while the promised jobs will be short term employment
in a dying industry that continues to prop up an unsustainable,
oil-reliant national infrastructure. Instead we should be promoting a
major reduction in energy use, more energy efficiency technologies and a
proper plan for localised, low-impact, renewable energy nationwide." said
Bailey.

"Our people need employment but in a sustainable economy that will
continue to provide for the many generations yet to come." concluded
Bailey.

ENDS

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