November 15, 2016
Clean up cost sparks Goff oil vote
New Auckland mayor Phil Goff says the Auckland Council will no longer pull its punches over oil exploration.
Mr Goff last week joined the majority in voting against offshore oil and gas exploration in the region, reversing the stance of the previous council.
He says the days of the oil industry are numbered, and he has traded in the mayoral V6 for a hybrid, with a fully electric car on the shopping list.
He was also concerned about conservation and the cost of cleaning up if things go wrong.
"You know I was involved as leader of the opposition in the Rena clean up and what made me really angry was the ratepayers down there ended up picking up a lot of the costs. I'm saying to central government Auckland doesn't get the royalties from oil exploration but it will have to meet a percentage of the costs if there's a catastrophic oil spil or blowout in the drilling for it. It doesn't make sense to me," he says.
Phil Goff says he is also looking forward to working constructively with the Independent Maori Statutory Board.
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