<
https://theconversation.com/the-end-of-offshore-oil-and-gas-exploration-in-nz-was-hard-won-but-it-remains-politically-fragile-203396>
"Recent news that the New Zealand government has granted an offshore oil and
gas exploration permit it had earlier declined demonstrates how fragile the
current ban on such activity still is.
The permit was eventually granted because the application was lodged just
before the government’s 2018 offshore exploration ban was in place. The High
Court ruled it should therefore have been considered under the previous system.
It’s simply the latest twist in a long contest of ideas and ideologies. Between
2008 and 2017, Aotearoa New Zealand’s offshore environment was opened up for
further oil and gas exploration on the promise of economic growth and energy
independence.
The dominant narrative from the government and from industry was, at its core,
that economic growth is essential, that oil was an untapped resource, and it
would be irresponsible not to make use of it to generate capital and contribute
to Aotearoa New Zealand’s economic development. During these nine years, the
government sought to “secure” this resource.
The government took action to provide certainty and therefore security for
overseas investors by cultivating ties with the fossil fuel industry. For
example, when protest sought to disrupt oil and gas exploration activities, the
government introduced legislation to curtail at-sea protest and offered only
limited Māori and community engagement about commercial extraction activities
in ocean spaces.
The story of the anti-deep sea oil campaign begins with increased efforts to
entice transnational petroleum corporations to explore the country’s extensive
Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). Aotearoa New Zealand was among the first
countries to embrace wholesale neoliberal reforms in the 1980s, and this
approach to governance, economic, social and environmental policy and practice
has become embedded over subsequent decades."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
