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As the Government hands out more exploration licences for prospecting on high value conservation land, the people of the historic Taranaki settlement of Parihaka are telling oil companies it’s time to pack up their drills and go.
Spokesperson Ruakere Hond says the community wants Todd Energy and Cue Energy to surrender their permits for the block in which Parihaka is located, decommission all drilled wells and clean up any well sites and dumping grounds.
He says the companies have dropped the names of Parihaka and the ancestor Tohu from two oil and gas permit blocks, but failed to consult on the replacement names.
"Obviously we’re happy they have been changed – but at the same time these decisions that relate directly to the communities that live around the coast, that live in these areas, are made by companies that don't engage with those communities," Mr Hond says.
He says Parihaka has serious concerns not only about the pollution of their coastline and moana by the industry, but also about the impact of continued use of fossil fuels on climate change.
Mr Hond says many wahi tapū have been damaged or destroyed in Taranaki from earth works for well sites and other activities, and at least four oil spills in the last ten years have damaged the ecosystem.
Copyright © 2013, Uma Broadcasting Ltd
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