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Offshore Renewable Energy Bill Submission
EDS has lodged its submission on the Offshore Renewable Energy Bill with the Transport and Infrastructure Select Committee. The Bill proposes a new framework by which offshore renewables will be authorised. Submissions close on 6 February.
“The Bill is a step in the right direction,” says EDS Reform Director Greg Severinsen.
“Offshore renewables, including offshore wind farms, will be an important piece of the solution when it comes to decarbonising the electricity sector. They can have less environmental impact than onshore projects. If these effects are acceptable, they should be facilitated and encouraged.
“The Bill is necessary and has good features. However, some improvements are needed, and we detail them in our submission which is available here.
“There’s also a need to think about offshore renewables more strategically. The Bill provides a process for deciding which competing renewables projects can go ahead but doesn’t deal with a situation where a different kind of activity (like seabed mining) may want to use the same space. Renewables may even be put at a disadvantage, because an applicant is not allowed to apply for RMA consent until a feasibility permit has been granted.
“This creates a window where other kinds of activities could ‘jump the queue’, possibly deterring investment. Given that suitable locations for offshore wind are largely known and are limited, there is a need for broader marine spatial planning to determine what kinds of activities should go where and to manage any conflicts and synergies between them.
“Perhaps the most concerning thing, though, is not the Bill itself, but rather its relationship with the deeply flawed Fast-track Approvals Act. Here, offshore renewables are put at a significant disadvantage; they are specifically not allowed to use the fast-track process, but incompatible activities can.
“This means that significant early investment in large projects like offshore wind could be made redundant if a different activity swooped in to be referred under the Fast-track legislation. This is not an academic issue – Trans Tasman Resources’ proposal to mine iron sands off the South Taranaki coast has been included in the Fast-track Approvals Act, despite conflicting with well-developed offshore wind proposals which cannot yet apply for consent. The uncertainty this creates for renewables has been a factor in one developer already withdrawing from the New Zealand market,” concluded Dr Severinsen.
Environmental Defence Society
EDS speaks for the environment. It has influence.
Since 1971, EDS has been driving environmental protection in Aotearoa New Zealand
through law and policy change. That's why it's one of this country's most influential non-
profit organisations when it comes to achieving better environmental outcomes.
EDS has expertise in key disciplines including law, planning, landscape and science. It
operates as a policy think-tank, a litigation advocate, and a collaborator – bringing together
the private and public sectors for constructive engagement.
EDS runs conferences and seminars on topical issues, including an annual Environmental
Summit and the Climate Change and Business Conference.
EDS is a registered charity and donations to it are tax-deductible.
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