2nd October 2018

The Rainbow Warrior continues its journey off the Taranaki coast today carrying crew from 11 nations and Taranaki kuia Kura Niwa from Pukerangiora Hapū and Agnes Wharehoka from Parihaka alongside Emily Bailey from Climate Justice Taranaki. The Greenpeace flagship made a surprise trip to Taranaki to show the world that despite a promise to ban new offshore exploration permits, much drilling is still to happen with over 30 new wells on the cards, and with toxic wastes going overboard.

After visiting the Kupe rig yesterday, the ship arrived at the Maui A and B platforms this morning to deliver a message to the major drilling company OMV from Austria. "Kua nui, haere atu. Leave our waters and our lands and never come back" said Emily Bailey.

The crew on the Greenpeace flagship came up close to Kupe and the Maui oil and gas rigs now mostly owned by OMV. They raised banners and phoned the rig and their OMV headquarters in Austria to inform the company that the whole world is watching their crimes against humanity.

"We have come here today on behalf of our tamariki and mokopuna and the hundreds of thousands of have spoken to leave fossil fuels in the ground" said Kura Niwa.

"The oil and gas from Maui and Kupe are piped onshore, the oil is exported while the gas is made into synthetic fertiliser or used to dehydrate milk for export. The fossil fuel and fertiliser industries are the key drivers of industrial animal farming. Together, these industries emit the majority of New Zealand's greenhouse gases as well as polluting our freshwater, damaging our soil and hurting once thriving rural communities. If the next generations are to have a liveable planet then we must finally take responsibility and leave fossil fuels in the ground" concluded Emily Bailey,

The Rainbow Warrior will be heading to the Maari oil field next.

ENDS

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