Oil Free Wellington drops banner from Statoil headquarters as Petroleum Summit opens

Today members of Oil Free Wellington have targeted the offices of Statoil, by attaching a banner reading 'Statoil out of Northland: Stop Deep Sea Oil' to the entrance of Vodafone on the Quay Midland Park, where Statoil's New Zealand office is located. The Norwegian oil company has been granted 15 year exploration permits off the coast of Northland.

"We've hung this banner today, as the Petroleum Summit opens in Auckland, to highlight the environmental destruction which Statoil has planned for Northland and our climate." Said Oil Free Wellington spokesperson Jessie Dennis

"We're also here to stand in solidarity with those who have traveled with the Waiho Papa Moana Hikoi from Northland to Auckland this week to show their opposition to Statoil's planned deep sea oil drilling."

Yesterday over a thousand people turned out in Auckland to join the Hikoi as it arrived in central Auckland and on final leg to the Petroleum Summit.

Northland community groups have demanded Statoil cancel its seismic testing programme for this Summer to protect marine life in the te Reinga Basin. It's feared that seismic testing planned for December will harm dolphins, whales, giant squid and fish.

"Along with being incredibly risky, deep sea oil brings few benefits to Northland communities. There simply aren't the lucrative jobs in the oil business for locals. Instead, the threats to their uses of the sea are all too real." Said Dennis

"The dramatic effects of climate change are only going to get worse. We face floods, droughts, mass extinction and food shortages as climate change accelerates. A just transition away from fossil fuels towards a more sustainable and equitable society is the only way forward."

This action coincided with Auckland Greenpeace activists who this morning disrupted the opening of the Petroleum Summit.

Oil Free Wellington opposes all new fossil fuel exploration, and stands with the people of Northland in their struggle against Statoil and deep sea oil.

ENDS

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