March 21, 2024
Marsden Point closure big mistake says Peters
New Zealand First Leader Winston Peters says Labour allowing the Marsden Point Oil refinery to be shut down in 2022 was politically and economically suicidal.
Resources Minister Shane Jones yesterday announced an investigation into fuel security and the prospects of the privately-owned refinery reopening, in line with the coalition agreement between New Zealand First and National.
Mr Peters says not having a refinery imperils the whole economy.
“Of we have a crisis of supply of fuel from offshore or a tanker shut down and we don’t have any underwater piping, if we have that sort of crisis this country will be shut down within 21 days sadly and dramatically. It will be awful. Even first line responders will be in trouble. And this happened under the previous government and we’ve said ‘how on earth did you allow this to happen?” he says.
Re-opening of the refinery would cost billions of dollars and take a number of years.