The Government has introduced legislation to overturn the offshore oil and gas ban. This is dangerous and irresponsible in the midst of a climate crisis, where we need to be taking all steps possible to reduce our reliance on fossil fuels. They are giving only a couple of days for the public to have their say on this change.

This page has key points and information to help write your submission, which can be done by clicking the links or "Make a submission here" buttons.

To have a thriving future, we need to leave oil and gas drilling in the past.

Aotearoa has everything we need for abundant, clean energy through options like wind and solar. Harnessing renewable energy instead of fossil fuels protects our living world and the generations to come.

However, the Government is dragging us backwards. Christopher Luxon and his Coalition mates want to rush through law changes that will reopen oil and gas exploration in Aotearoa and they’re only giving people like you only four days to have a say. Submit to let the Government know time’s up for fossil fuels in Aotearoa.

The average time it takes for an oil and gas field to go from exploration to production is 16 years. That’s signing us up to keep burning climate-cooking fossil fuels well beyond 2040.

The offshore oil and gas ban was achieved by a movement of thousands across the nation including iwi and hapū who said a resounding no to the drillers.

The Luxon Government is once again rushing through laws that will trash our beautiful environment. They are giving only a couple of days for the public to have their say on this change.

We need to let the government know – fossil fuels are not our future.

Your submission on the Crown Minerals Amendment Bill

The main four things this Bill does are:

• Removing the ban on oil and gas exploration, including risky deep sea drilling
• Opening up mining on conservation land in Taranaki
• Changing the purpose of the Crown Minerals Act to promote mining
• Weakening decommissioning requirements

Key points to include in your submission

Tell the Select Committee why you OPPOSE the Crown Minerals Amendment Bill. You could say, for example, that this bill:

• Is a significant step backwards in Aotearoa’s commitment to addressing the climate crisis, undermining our commitments to reduce emissions
• Is inconsistent with the scientific evidence, which shows every country  must rapidly phase out fossil fuel consumption, and stop drilling new oil and gas fields to limit the worst impacts of climate change
• Risks our oceans and coastline with devastating oil spills
• Will cause major harm and destruction in the marine environment through seismic blasting.

Further information you can draw from in your submission

In 2018, all new offshore oil and gas drilling was banned in Aotearoa, becoming a watershed moment in the climate movement. The ban was world leading at the time and reflected our strong commitment as a country to addressing climate change and reducing our emissions.

Now, the Government has introduced legislation o overturn this ban, seeking to encourage multi-national fossil fuel companies back to New Zealand to dig up and drill our marine spaces for oil and gas. This decision is dangerous and puts future generations at risk.

The International Energy Agency has told us we need a massive decline in the use of fossil fuels if we’re to meet the net zero by 2050 target, requiring a 75% decrease in oil and gas consumption and no new oil and gas extraction from 2021. The United Nations Secretary-General was also clear at the Pacific Islands Forum in August that the biggest emitters “must step up and lead, by phasing out the production and consumption of fossil fuels and stopping their expansion immediately”. Further, the Government’s own advice shows that this could lead to an extra 14 million tonnes of carbon dioxide entering out atmosphere by 2035.

The government claimed that the recent spikes in electricity prices were because of this 2018 ban, which meant we don’t have enough gas to power our electricity generators. This is simply untrue. We have enough gas in the existing fields to power us through the transition to 100% renewable energy if we use it wisely and make the rapid transition that the world needs.

The scientific evidence and consensus on this issue is clear. We cannot allow oil and gas drilling to reopen in Aotearoa and we cannot continue to burn fossil fuels, but we need you to submit, and tell the Government why you oppose new oil and gas extraction in Aotearoa.

We’re putting the industry on notice. The next time a Green government is elected, we will reinstate the ban and revoke any permits issued by Luxon's Government for oil and gas drilling.

Removing the ban on petroleum exploration

The Bill reverses the amendments made to the Crown Minerals Act in 2018 that banned new offshore petroleum exploration permits and onshore permits outside of the Taranaki region, as well as allowing access to carry out exploration on conservation land in Taranaki.

Prompt:

I do not support the proposal to remove the ban on new petroleum exploration. In the midst of a climate crisis, we need to keep fossil fuels in the ground. Expanding the exploration of petroleum undermines our international commitments under the Paris Agreement and walks back our positive progress on addressing climate change. New oil and gas fields can take on average 16 years to go from exploration to production. Investment in new oil and gas fields will lock us into a long-term reliance on fossil fuels, where we should be putting our resources towards alternatives such as investing in renewable energy sources.

Weakening the decommissioning regime

The Bill makes changes to the decommissioning regime for oil and gas fields so that companies do not have to provide payment or financial security to cover the cost of decommissioning oil and gas fields.  This means that the public would have to pay for cleaning up messes left by the companies extracting fossil fuels.

Prompt:

I do not support the proposal to weaken the decommissioning regime for oil and gas fields. Companies that choose to engage in destructive and extractive industries must be held liable responsible for the costs of decommissioning their oil and gas fields, rather than letting taxpayers pick up the Bill.

We’ve already seen nearly $500 million have to be put aside for the decommissioning of the Tui Oil Field which was abandoned in 2019 following the financial collapse of fossil fuel company Tamarind Taranaki. The changes this Bill makes leaves the New Zealand public liable for the long-term costs and harm that oil and gas drilling will cause.

Changing the purpose of the Crown Minerals Act

In 2023, the purpose of the Crown Minerals Act was amended, changing the purpose from “promote prospecting for, exploration for, and mining of Crown owned minerals” to “manage prospecting for, exploration for, and mining of Crown owned minerals”. This was a positive shift, signifying that mining was something not to be celebrated and encouraged, but to be managed and considered, alongside other needs, like protecting the environment.

This Bill reverses these changes, while also adding an extra function for the Minister to “attract permit applications”.

Prompt: 

I do not support the amendment to change the purpose of the Crown Minerals Act from managing mining, to promoting mining.

Ministers and the Government should not be advocates for extractive industries, promoting mining, and fossil fuel exploration. This change prioritises short-term economic gain over long-term environmental sustainability and deepens our reliance on fossil fuels.

The change from managing to promoting means that the Crown will no longer be exercising its responsibility to manage how mining takes place, where mining takes place, and whether or not it is taking place in an environmentally responsible manner.

This change is basically a manifesto for extractive industries like fossil fuel companies and miners. It’s a clear example of the government acting in the interest of its rich donors and against the interests of nature and future generations.