DCC Blocks 2017 Petroleum Offer

Dunedin Council will meet today to decide whether they make a submission on the NZ Petroleum and Minerals Block Offer 2017. They are expected to strongly oppose the offer on the basis of protecting marine ecosystems and acting on climate change. Their decision will follow the recent submissions by Christchurch City Council and Auckland Council that call for a moratorium on all oil and gas exploration and extraction in New Zealand.

Oil Free Otago and 350 Dunedin will present deputations to council highlighting the need for urgent action. National decisions regarding climate change must align with local and global expectations. New Zealand ratified the Paris Climate Agreement on October the 5th and agreed to reduce emissions.

Oil Free Spokesperson Claudia Palmer, stated, “According to the 2016 report by Oil Change International existing reserves of oil and gas alone, without coal, would be enough to breach the 1.5 degree celsius barrier set by the Paris Climate Agreement. Therefore there is no reason for the petroleum and mining industry to do any further exploration.”

“With the council's support I am confident we all will bear witness to a clean energy future.”

South Dunedin community member Siana Fitzjohn writes, “The 2016 Oil and Gas Block Offer is an act of slow violence. This is because fossil fuel extraction exacerbates a crisis bringing displacement, disease and death to a lot of people. So either we have a Government who cannot conceptually link deep sea oil exploration with the human impacts of climate change, or we have a Government that can, and are pushing ahead regardless. Either way it is deeply concerning.”

“If deep sea oil drilling goes wrong, it will wreak havoc with our marine ecosystems; if it goes right, it will wreak havoc with our climate. ”

It is the responsibility of the council to voice these concerns to central government by opposing the 2017 block offer.

ENDS.

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