National's 'drill it, mine it, sell it' approach not the path to economic growth

Revelations that oil exploration company TAG Oil plans to aggressively pursue mining on New Zealand’s East Coast and turn it into the "Texas of the South" shows that National’s ‘drill it, mine it, sell it' approach to economic development is well underway, says Labour's Energy spokesperson and East Coast-based MP Moana Mackey.

“This is not where New Zealand’s economic future lies. We need to be investing instead in renewable solutions.

“New Zealanders will be shocked by the extent of TAG’s plans for an ‘aggressive East Coast basin programme’ comprising thousands of oil wells and significant land purchases.

“This is the logical result of National’s laissez-faire approach to energy policy.

“As a Gisborne-based MP, I know how concerned communities up and down the East Coast are about any expansion of oil and gas exploration in our backyard, in particular the impact on our environment and our tourism industry. And who pays if something goes wrong?

“This is not a sustainable solution for the region’s economic development, but the National Government has no other plan.”

Moana Mackey also questioned whether the controversial practice of hydraulic fracturing or ‘fracking’ was part of TAG Oil’s plans for the East Coast.

“An increasing number of governments around the world are reviewing or banning fracking because of concerns about the safety of the practice and in particular the impact on drinking water supplies.

“Labour has been calling for an inquiry into the practice of fracking in New Zealand so that these concerns can be fully investigated. Unfortunately the National Government continues to ignore public concerns about this controversial practice,” said Moana Mackey.