May 01, 2013
Maori to be affected if mining gets the go ahead
The Greens say Māori communities are likely to be among those most adversely affected by the Government’s push to open up more areas for mining and oil exploration.
Energy and Resources Minister Simon Bridges has called for tenders for oil and gas exploration permits.
Areas covered include onshore blocks in Taranaki and East Coast and offshore blocks in the Taranaki Basin, the Great South-Canterbury Basins and the Reinga-Northland Basins.
Greens Co-leader Metiria Turei says National is pitching the move as regional development, but the track record of the industry shows little will trickle down.
“Government can’t guarantee two things. They can’t guarantee work and they cannot guarantee environmental protection. Deep sea oil drilling is not going to be an economic boom for the community. What it will be a huge is a economic cost and if anything goes wrong, those international companies will bugger off and will leave those people on the ground, particularly whānau and coastal hapū and iwi to bare the environmental and economical costs of the clean up,” Metiria Turei says
Copyright © 2013, Uma Broadcasting Ltd