Time for Wellington City Council to oppose deep sea oil drilling

"With the Christchurch City Council openly opposing new oil exploration stretching from South Canterbury to Banks Peninsula it is time for the Wellington City Council to take a stand on deep sea oil drilling," says Oil Free Wellington spokesperson James Barber.

The oil exploration area near Wellington has doubled in size with the granting of exploration permits to Chevron and Statoil in December last year. Texas-based Anadarko conducted seismic blasting of the seas around Wellington in 2014 and will be back.

James Barber continued, "When faced with the colossal threat of climate change we should be halting fossil fuel exploration, not increasing it. The time is long overdue for Mayor Celia Wade-Brown and the Wellington City Council to take a stand opposing exploration off Wellington's coast and throughout the oceans of Aotearoa. Wellingtonians want aggressive action to tackle climate change, not a milquetoast council unwilling to take on big oil."

Consultation on deep sea oil exploration closes this Friday. While the Government has kept the doors of public consultation closed, local authorities and Iwi can still have a say. However, during previous rounds of consultation the Wellington City Council has not even made submissions. Oil Free Wellington has contacted councillors and council staff but has not heard back on the Wellington City Council's position.

James says, "Oil Free Wellington is delighted to hear that the Christchurch City Council is opposing the plan by New Zealand Petroleum and Minerals to expand exploration by hundreds of thousands of kilometres. We also send our solidarity and support to other communities throughout the country resisting exploration and drilling."

"We also hope that the Auckland Supercity Council listens to the concerned Aucklanders demonstrating outside their offices today and the thousands who have emailed and texted the council asking their representatives to oppose drilling. Len Brown and the Auckland council should follow the example set by Christchurch City Council."

ENDS

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