Aucklanders Care about deep sea oil drilling off their coast.

Deep Sea Oil Watch Auckland (DSOWA) today launched the ‘Aucklanders Care’ campaign to coincide with the end of applications by international oil companies for deep sea oil drilling permits off the city's West Coast.

NZ Petroleum and Minerals have today closed Block Offer 2013 and this week announced Block Offer 2014 both of which propose a massive expansion of oil drilling off Auckland’s West Coast.

Aucklanders are being asked to put their mark on a map of Auckland to show they care for the regions coastlines and oppose deep sea oil drilling.

“We are giving Aucklanders an opportunity to show how much they care for this city and its famous coastlines and oppose any and all proposals to drill for oil off our coast” said DSOWA Spokesperson Claire Dann.

“We don’t believe Aucklanders are aware of the extent to which the Government are opening up our coastal waters to oil drilling so we are launching this campaign to highlight the extend of this massive expansion of mining permits.

“Aucklanders don’t want to see oil rigs off Piha and Muriwai, nor do they want to take the risk of oil washing up on our coastline.

“The Government should instead be investing in our ailing public transport system and sustainable energy systems which will reduce our reliance on oil not lock us in to a fossil fuel powered future.

“Climate change and oil spills are real risks which can be averted if the Government listens to the demands of Aucklander’s and drop plans for oil drilling off the city's West Coast” said Ms Dann.

The Aucklanders Care campaign can be viewed and joined at http://oilwatchauckland.org.nz/

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