1 December 2015

Way to go Dunedin

Oil Free Otago congratulates the Dunedin City Council (DCC) for calling on the government to put a moratorium on deep sea oil and gas exploration in the wake Dunedin’s 3,000+ strong People’s Climate March.

“The people have spoken and our council heard us” said Oil Free Otago spokesperson Rosemary Penwarden. “Mayor Cull made good on his words at the Dunedin People’s Climate March with his casting vote.”

The announcement comes on the back of the recent nationwide ‘Block the Offer’ campaign, which saw communities throughout New Zealand joining together and pressuring their local councils to say “no” to oil exploration in our waters. Today, DCC noted that it is opposing the exploration for the sake of the climate.

The request for a deep sea drilling moratorium was part of a four part resolution motioned by Cr Aaron Hawkins and seconded by Cr Jinty MacTavish which included urging the Government to adopt a tougher carbon emissions target and reducing Dunedin’s own emissions.

The resolution, on the eve of the CoP21 Paris climate talks, is another clear message to central government that New Zealanders are ready and willing to mobilise and use people power to transition away from fossil fuels.

It also comes in the wake of the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment’s report that singles Dunedin out as the city most at risk for sea level rise.

Last week 25,000 Kiwis joined hundreds of thousands around the world to march for real climate action in Paris.

Just four days earlier, Greenpeace activists, including Oil Free Otago’s Siana Fitzjohn, occupied the government research vessel Tangaroa, which had been refitted to the tune of $24 million of taxpayer-funded money to expand its and gas exploration capabilities, and had been surveying for Chevron and other oil companies.

“It is clear that we can no longer rely on the actions of governments to keep our climate safe” said Siana. “The pervasive fossil fuel agenda of this government and oil companies will continue unless we take action to stop it. Climbing or marching – it all adds up to pressure on a government that’s still back in last century. The DCC’s decision is a sign that people power works. Way to go Dunedin.”

ENDS

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