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EDS concerned at EEZ oil proposals
Media Release: EDS concerned at EEZ oil proposals
The Environmental Defence Society has expressed some reservations about the announcement today by Environment Minister Amy Adams regarding the new regime governing resource extraction in our EEZ and extended continental shelf.
The Minister has said that oil and gas exploration is likely to be regulated as a non-notified discretionary application under new rules to be introduced later this year. New regulations will also give effect to a range of other activities in the EEZ and those will come into effect earlier, in June.
"My understanding is that the government is proposing to break the new EEZ regulations into 2 tranches: the first, dealing with a range of activities, will be brought into force in June; the second, dealing with oil and gas drilling, later this year after a period of stakeholder consultation," said EDS Chairman Gary Taylor.
"The idea of having two phases like this is fine. We will need to study the first set of authorised activities to understand whether those regulations are appropriate or not, given the environmental effects of the activities to be permitted.
"We note that the Minister has said she will not be giving oil and gas exploration drilling permitted activity status as requested by the industry. That decision is a welcome one.
"What is likely to be more controversial, however, is the creation of a new activity status for oil and gas exploration - non–notified directionally status. This effectively means that a consent will be required for oil and gas drilling but it will be a closed process excluding any public submissions. I don't think that will be acceptable to most New Zealanders.
"There is a range of views around whether oil exploration should be allowed at all in our oceans. As an organisation that has argued for high environmental standards if it is to take place, EDS considers that excluding public scrutiny will undermine the confidence of those New Zealanders who are prepared to see such activities take place. Having a closed-shop consenting regime is not transparent and given the high consequences if something goes wrong, quite unacceptable. The Deep Water Horizons disaster in the Gulf of Mexico was an exploration well.
"However the Minister has said that she will be consulting on this proposal before it is finalised.
"We would prefer to see oil and gas drilling a full discretionary activity with public submissions and a proper hearing," Mr Taylor concluded
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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