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Beaches safe from oil spills this summer after Anadarko gives up
Beaches in Wellington, Wairarapa, and the top of the South Island are at less risk of being decimated by an oil spill after Anadarko surrendered its fossil fuel exploration permits in the Pegasus Basin, the Green Party said today. “As we head into summer, people can celebrate that the chance of an oil spill on their favourite beach just got much lower,” Green Party energy and resources spokesperson Gareth Hughes said. “Our beautiful beaches are an iconic part of the... -
Help for young people into home ownership launched
The Green Party is launching a plan today to help people struggling with student loans get into their first home. Green MP Gareth Hughes’s Student Loan Scheme First Home Repayment Diversion Bill was launched today, the latest in a series of Green Party policies to address the housing crisis. “Many young people are struggling to get a house deposit together and we want to make it easier and faster for them to get a foot in the door,” said Green... -
NZ hypocrisy called out at climate conference
National's two Fossil of the Day awards for hypocrisy on climate change shows it’s not doing much better than climate denialists like Donald Trump, the Green Party said today. At the international climate conference in Marrakech, New Zealand received two Fossil of the Day awards – presented by environmental NGOs to countries obstructing action on climate change. New Zealand received one award for calling on other countries to end fossil fuel subsidies, despite continuing to subsidise oil and gas exploration in... -
Deadline looming for power plant decision
Time is running out for the Government to decide whether people will get a say on Nova Energy’s proposal to build a large gas-fired power plant in south Waikato with significant impacts on the environment and climate change, the Green Party said today. “The Government should ‘call in’ Nova’s application to build a new gas-fired power plant as a matter of national significance so everyone gets to have a say, because it will affect New Zealand’s commitments under the Paris... -
Statoil decision shows Govt should give up on oil and gas
The wheels are falling off the Government’s oil and gas strategy, with news that Norwegian oil company Statoil has given up on exploring for oil in the Reinga Basin off the Northland coast. Statoil’s decision follows Brazilian company Petrobras, which gave up looking for oil in New Zealand in 2012, and Anadarko, which gave up in 2014. Statoil still holds a 50 percent share in an exploration permit off the Wairarapa coast. “National’s plan to turn New Zealand into a... -
Energy Minister more focused on static electricity than controversial electricity changes
New Zealand’s smaller hydro and wind electricity generators are being put at risk from changes proposed by the Electricity Authority (EA), while Energy Minister Simon Bridges seems more focused on the static electricity in his office, the Green Party said today. Along with controversial proposed changes to the Transmission Pricing Methodology that would see Auckland and Northland households pay more for power, the EA is also proposing significant changes to the rules around distributed generation. Distributed generation includes everything from... -
More oil drilling in Maui’s dolphin sanctuary
The Government’s new Block Offer will open up another half a million square kilometres of our oceans to mining and oil drilling, including part of the critically endangered Maui’s dolphin marine sanctuary, the Green Party said today. Approximately 4,000 sq km of the Maui’s dolphin sanctuary – roughly a third of its total area – is up for grabs by oil and mining companies. “Opening up another half a million square kilometres to mining smacks of desperation from a Government... -
Greens call on Minister to “call in” new polluting power plant
The Green Party launched a campaign today to stop the proposed construction of a new gas-fired power plant in South Waikato that would increase greenhouse gas emissions, causing climate change. Nova Energy has applied for resource consents to build a gas-burning power plant near Otorohanga. The Green Party is asking Environment Minister Nick Smith to “call in” the application on the grounds that burning more fossil fuels will affect New Zealand’s obligations under the Paris Climate Change Agreement, and then... -
Pre-paid power costing families extra
Unfair differences between pre-paid and normal power prices are costing vulnerable families in some parts of New Zealand hundreds of dollars a year, the Green Party said. Analysis of the cheapest normal power prices and the cheapest pre-paid power prices in Wellington shows that pre-paid customers are paying on average $542 more every year. Nationwide, pre-paid customers pay an extra $153 a year on average.* “Too many pre-paid power customers are getting a bad deal,” Green Party energy spokesperson Gareth... -
Blueskin Bay wind decision disappointing
The Green Party is disappointed by the decision to decline consent for Otago’s Blueskin Bay community wind farm project, which shows why Government leadership is needed to help smooth the transition to a more sustainable electricity system. “This is obviously very disappointing for the local community who have worked so hard to get their own wind farm. They should be congratulated for their vision and their work,” Green Party energy spokesperson Gareth Hughes said. “The Blueskin Bay community achieved a...