Oil and gas ban passes into law

7th November 2018: Greenpeace today welcomes the passing of legislation that puts the ban on new oil and gas permits into law.

The Crown Minerals (Petroleum) Amendment Act, which passed last night 63 to 55, formalises the Coalition Government’s April announcement that there will be no new offshore permits available to oil and gas companies.

Greenpeace Climate and Energy Campaigner, Kate Simcock, says this is a huge win for the climate and for people power, and it is a law New Zealand should be proud of passing.

"Today we have passed an incredibly important law for the global climate. This law means that around four million square kilometres of the earth’s surface is now off limits to oil and gas companies, and any deposits under our deep seas will stay in the ground where they belong," she says.

"The science is very clear - we only have 10 years to halve our use of oil, gas, and coal or face the displacement of millions of people, catastrophic sea level rise, more extreme weather, and mass species extinction. That’s going to mean massive change - not business as usual - and we need to be prepared to take bold steps like this to protect humanity and the planet.

"As a nation, we should be very proud of being one of the first countries in the world to ban climate-destroying oil exploration. Just like when New Zealand became nuclear free, we have taken an important stand for our principles and our future."

Simcock says there was clear public mandate for the legislation banning new oil and gas permits.

"Over the past eight years, tens of thousands of New Zealanders have demanded an end to offshore oil and gas, and this year the Government has listened. The desire for our Government to show leadership on climate change is clear from the overwhelming public support for this Bill," she says.

The Bill was opposed by the National Party and was heavily debated in the house. A select committee for the Environment received over 7000 submissions on the Bill, with around 85% supporting the Bill or submitting that it did not go far enough to tackle climate change.
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