Today, the Crown Mineral Amendment Bill was read for the first time, reversing the ban on oil exploration off the coast of Taranaki.

It was no accident that this proposed law change was read directly after the Government started to unravel the ability of iwi and hapū Māori to have their rights in the Foreshore and Seabed recognised with the Takutai Moana Amendment Bill.

“The insidious timing of the Crown Minerals Bill demonstrates this government’s true priorities: Short-term profit has been chosen over the rights and well-being of Māori communities, our moana, and our whenua.” Said MP for Te Tai Hauāuru and Te Pāti Māori Co-Leader, Debbie Ngarewa-Packer.

“Whānau, hapū, and iwi Māori are the last line of defence against mega rich oil and gas companies relentlessly mining and drilling our seabeds and causing irreversible damage to our Taiao.

“This is textbook colonisation. They have come to our land, they are taking our resources, and they are selling them off to the highest bidder - with no benefit to Māori.

“This will not be the last exploitative bill passed by this government. Once they erase the few rights we have left, there will be nothing stopping them from plundering and pillaging as they please.

“For years, ngā iwi o Taranaki have been determined to permanently rid their coastlines of exploitative oil exploration.

“No one wants to go backward. The government must collaborate with Taranaki iwi and hapū to transition toward renewable energy.

“Te Pāti Māori believes that the only way forward is to ban seabed mining permits nationwide, withdraw existing permits and introduce a national Māori strategy for renewable energy,” said Ngarewa-Packer.

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