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EDS welcomes PM's commitment to independent inquiry on RENA
21 October 2011
EDS welcomes commitment by Prime Minister to independent inquiry into Rena disaster
The Environmental Defence Society has welcomed the Prime Minister's response to its call for a Royal Commission of Inquiry into the Rena disaster.
"The Prime Minister has responded positively to our earlier written request," said EDS Chairman Gary Taylor.
He said that "It is my expectation that there will be some form of independent inquiry into the aftermath of the Rena grounding. The government will shortly consider advice on how such an inquiry could be established…"
"This is a positive step forward and means that an inquiry will be held and that it will be independent of government. We think that's very important because the roles of government agencies need to be reviewed.
"We are also of the view that the terms of reference need to be broad. We need to examine not just whether the response to the grounding was optimal but also look at whether improved preventative measures can be put in place and whether New Zealand's overall preparedness for oil spills is adequate.
"We are of the view that a Royal Commission is the best way to establish an independent and authoritative inquiry and we set out our reasons for that in our earlier request to the Prime Minister which we are now making public along with his response.
"We agree that final decisions on this matter need to be deferred until the important work of cleaning up the spill and recovering the cargo is complete," Mr Taylor concluded.
To see EDS's request and the Prime Minister's response click here.
ENDS
Environmental Defence Society
EDS speaks for the environment. It has influence.
Since 1971, EDS has been driving environmental protection in Aotearoa New Zealand
through law and policy change. That's why it's one of this country's most influential non-
profit organisations when it comes to achieving better environmental outcomes.
EDS has expertise in key disciplines including law, planning, landscape and science. It
operates as a policy think-tank, a litigation advocate, and a collaborator – bringing together
the private and public sectors for constructive engagement.
EDS runs conferences and seminars on topical issues, including an annual Environmental
Summit and the Climate Change and Business Conference.
EDS is a registered charity and donations to it are tax-deductible.
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