by Gareth Hughes
Green Party Councillor Paul Bruce has put fracking on the Greater Wellington Regional Council’s agenda, and it will be interesting to see if they will continue the momentum seen in other councils in New Zealand questioning or calling for a halt on fracking.
In the last six months we have seen Christchurch City declare itself frack-free along with resolutions passed by Hawke’s Bay Regional Council, Kaikōura District Council, Hastings District Council and others. I think we are seeing something akin to Nuclear-Free New Zealand, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year. Then, as is the case with fracking now, with a Government refusing to act despite huge legitimate concerns, it was our towns and cities that acted.
Councillor Bruce says “We can’t keep our heads in the sand over fracking anymore…I’m urging Wellington take a precautionary approach to this controversial drilling method.”
I’ll be submitting to the Council to support the motion and if you’d like to join me, get in touch.
On the 13th June Greater Wellington Regional Council will consider his agenda item which is below:
Agenda item – Restrictions on Hydraulic fracturing
- Notes that preliminary work by the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment has resulted in a decision to examine more closely hydraulic fracturing issues.
- Accepts that information on risks to the Environment and people of hydraulic fracturing in NZ remains unclear.
- Expresses concern that Resource Consent applications for oil or gas hydraulic fracturing (“fracking”) exploratory or production wells received by GW are likely to suffer delays until sufficient information on environmental effects can be obtained.
- Directs Te Upoko Taiao – Natural Resource Management Committee to develop policy on oil or gas hydraulic fracturing exploratory or production wells drilling as part of the single Regional Plan.
- Agrees that the investigation into those risks being conducted by the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment should be completed before there is any consideration of the use of hydraulic fracturing in the greater Wellington region.
Published in Environment & Resource Management by Gareth Hughes on Thu, June 7th, 2012
Tags: council, fracking, GWRC, nuclear free, wellington
More posts by Gareth Hughes | more about Gareth Hughes
on the trolls and those who are unable to keep on topic
Loading...
Well done people. The truth is we just don’t know enough about fracking and its possible impacts to take chances with it. If it is half (or a tenth!) as bad as it has apparently been over seas then we just don’t need it.
Like or Dislike:
2 
2 (0)
Great news, I am very pleased that there is momentum building over fracking. The people of NZ need to be aware of the implications of this potentially devastating practice. We are at the mercy of the giant overseas oil companies who will make and take massive profits away from our country and leave us with just the mess to clean up.
Like or Dislike:
2 
2 (0)
There is a lot of misinformation surrounding fracking and its effects. The University of Texas has an excellent study that also looked at media perceptions of fracking. I urge the council to review the natural gas development study.
Like or Dislike:
4 
2 (+2)
Tell you what Rob. When the oil industry stop trying to cover up the causes of thier accidents by using bully boy tactics then perhaps we might start believing them.
Like or Dislike:
2 
0 (+2)
Oil industry… well I’m from Serbia, and when you look close, why Nikola Tesla isn’t celebrate and famous, you will realise how big are they!
Like or Dislike:
0 
0 (0)
Paul — this was an unbiased study from University of Texas. No oil company could invest in it.
Like or Dislike:
0 
0 (0)