{"id":1915,"date":"2015-09-17T15:19:00","date_gmt":"2015-09-17T03:19:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/new-zealand\/press-release\/block-the-offer-to-stop-deep-sea-oil\/"},"modified":"2024-07-12T15:36:05","modified_gmt":"2024-07-12T03:36:05","slug":"block-the-offer-to-stop-deep-sea-oil","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/aotearoa\/story\/block-the-offer-to-stop-deep-sea-oil\/","title":{"rendered":"Block the offer to stop deep sea oil"},"content":{"rendered":"
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From now until the 30th of October local councils,\u00a0iwi and hap\u016b\u00a0around New Zealand have the opportunity to take a position on deep sea oil drilling off our coast.<\/p>\n

Every year the Government via NZ Petroleum and Minerals (NZPAM) proposes \u201cblock offers\u201d. The \u2018blocks\u2019 are \u00a0huge swathes of our land, ocean and seabed that the Government wants to open up the following year to international oil companies to explore for oil and gas. The area that the Government has offered up this time – \u201cBlock Offer 2016\u201d – is massive. \u00a0It is twice the size of New Zealand\u2019s whole landmass<\/a>, and includes nearly a quarter<\/a> of the West Coast North Island Marine Mammal Sanctuary where the critically endangered Maui dolphins live.<\/p>\n

But before the Government sells off our oceans they have asked for submissions on the proposed block offer areas from councils, iwi and hap\u016b. These authorities are the only bodies that get to have a formal say on the block offers because two years ago the Government passed a law to shut the general public out off this process.<\/p>\n

Despite their attempts to silence the public, local opposition to deep sea oil has been building for years and the pressure is on for local councils and iwi\u00a0and hap\u016b\u00a0to take a stand in their submissions and say \u2018No\u2019 to deep sea oil.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s what happened in the previous Block Offer Consultations:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Block offer areas in the Raukumara Basin (off the the East Cape and Bay of Plenty) were met with staunch local opposition from Te Wh\u0101nau-\u0101-Apanui. \u00a0That block offer has since been taken off the table.<\/p>\n

In the 2015 submissions<\/a> the following\u00a0iwi and hap\u016b authorities expressed opposition to oil exploration in their rohe:<\/p>\n

\u2022\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0Ahipara Komiti Takutaimoana opposed exploration and requested the exclusion of the entire proposed Block Offers in 2015
\n\u2022\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0Tainui Hap\u016b and Nga Hap\u016b o Te uru requested that both the Block Offers off the West Coast of the North Island be removed from Block Offer 2015.
\n\u2022\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0Rangitane o Tamaki nui a Rua Incorporated requested that the whole Pegasus Basin Block Offer be removed from Block Offer 2015.
\n\u2022\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0R\u016bnanga within the wider Canterbury region, from the rohe of Waihao (near Oamaru) north to Kaikoura, opposed offshore petroleum exploration in the Great-South Canterbury Basin and Pegasus Basin. \u00a0As a result of this opposition, Ng\u0101i Tahu requested the areas north of the Waihao river mouth (Oamaru) be removed from Block Offer 2015<\/p>\n

Christchurch City Council stood up<\/a> to the Government and said it is not worth the risk for them, and they do not want anyone drilling for oil off their coast.<\/p>\n

Hot on the heels of Christchurch\u2019s decision, thousands of people flooded Auckland councillors<\/a> with email, text messages and phone calls telling them to say \u2018NO\u2019 to deep sea drilling off their coast too. \u00a0A big crowd turned up to the council meeting where they took a vote on the issue, and a chaotic meeting ensued. \u00a0The previous year only one councillor had voted against the drilling, but with all eyes on them the Council swung hugely in favour of saying no to deep sea oil – 9 votes against drilling and 9 votes for it. \u00a0Only the casting vote by the Chairman gave the approval to the Government\u2019s risky plans. It was a massive swing for the country\u2019s biggest council, and it sent a strong message to Government and the oil companies.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s what didn\u2019t happen last consultation round…<\/strong><\/p>\n

Councils,\u00a0iwi and hap\u016b authorities don\u2019t have to make a submission and many haven\u2019t. Out of 198 iwi and hap\u016b authorities and 54 local council authorities, only 32 submissions were made – 12 from iwi and hap\u016b, and 20 from Councils. \u00a0Here\u2019s the map of block offers in 2015 and here\u2019s some notable councils who kept silent;<\/p>\n

The silent councils:<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Northland Regional Council,
\nWhangarei District Council.
\nKaipara District Council,
\nWaikato District and Regional Council
\nGisborne District Council,
\nCentral Hawkes Bay District Council.
\nKapiti Coast District Council,
\nSouth Wairarapa District Council
\nWellington City Council,
\nTimaru District Council
\nEnvironment Southland (Southland Regional Council)
\nInvercargill City Council<\/p>\n

As we saw in the Gulf of Mexico the effects of a deep sea oil spill can be catastrophic, and the biggest risks and impacts land squarely on the local communities. Yet these local councils ducked their heads, accepted the risks without scrutiny or question, and hoped nobody would notice their silence. \u00a0We noticed.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s what\u2019s happening in this Block Offer consultation round:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Thousands of people are sending letters to Auckland Councillors again to demand that they make the right decision this time – Join the call here. <\/a><\/p>\n

Wellington City Councillors are feeling the heat from local group Oil Free Wellington.<\/a> \u00a0You can send a letter to Wellington city councillors here.<\/a><\/p>\n

The Far North District Council is being petitioned<\/a> by the Hokianga Environmental Protection Group.<\/p>\n

Environment Southland are also being petitioned<\/a> by Oil Free Southland<\/a>.<\/p>\n

And you can expect to see similar pressure on Dunedin, Christchurch and Whangarei Councils \u00a0soon from people and groups who have joined the call to #BlockTheOffer.<\/p>\n

Join this facebook event <\/a>to stay tuned to what\u2019s going on and get involved in the campaigns to #BlockTheOffer over the coming weeks.<\/p>\n

We\u2019re looking for people to join us and lead the charge on their local councils in other areas (the ones not mentioned above). \u00a0Email us at