Canada-based anthropologist finds Taranaki's oil and gas industry no monkey business

Monday, 7 January 2019

Canada-based PhD student Anna Bettini​ studied the behaviour of chimpanzees for her undergraduate degree.

Now the University of Kent social anthropology masters graduate is set to tackle the social and cultural impacts of the oil and gas industry on people living in Taranaki for a 300 page post-graduate thesis.

Bettini​ arrived in New Plymouth in November to gather information from interviews with up to 50 people on their personal perspective of the industry - one of Taranaki's major employment sectors.

But she has found sourcing contacts and collecting information from interviewees almost as difficult as extracting oil from the South Taranaki Basin.

**READ MORE:

* Taranaki's oil and gas explorers prepare for busy couple of years**

* Oil and gas boss: submission process 'unfair'

* Government's oil and gas exploration halt was a 'kick in the guts for Taranaki': Mayor

So far she had only managed to interview around 15 people from oil exploration companies, environmental groups and people employed in the industry.

'I am interested talking to as wide a range of people as I can find to complete the thesis,' she said.

'But there has been some scepticism from some people I have interviewed as to whose side I am on, whether I am pro extraction, or anti,' Bettini said.

'As an anthropologist I need to gather as much information from as many points of view as I can from people I speak with to understand the impact of the oil and gas industry has in Taranaki.

'So it's been a challenging few months since I arrived to interview people connected with the industry here.

'At first people are concerned I will side with one group and take their point of view.'

Bettini saw similarities between Taranaki, as New Zealand's prime oil and gas region, and Alberta, where she lived and which played a vital part in Canada's extractive industry.

Oil and gas production in Taranaki employed 11,000 people and contributed $2.5b annually to the national economy.

In contrast Alberta has the third largest crude oil reserves in the world and the industry employed about 175,000 people.

It produced 70 per cent of Canada's crude oil, and 80 per cent of natural gas.

While New Zealand planned to wind down oil and gas exploration by 2030, Canada invested $45 billion in the industry in 2017.

'Alberta is a major oil region and fracking is used a lot to extract the oil,' Bettini said.

'So there are similarities between here and Alberta with the industry playing a big part in people's lives.'

The interviews had thrown up an number of interesting points covering loss of culture, and changing social ties, she said.

'I want to understand the relationship people in Taranaki have towards the oil and gas industry, and the impacts it has had.

'I have found families and friendships divided depending on the support for oil and gas. 

'It's a very polarising discussion point. 

'Some families have told me they often don't discuss what's happening in the industry because it creates too many arguments.

'Others I have talked to say they have ended friendships because of opposing views.

'I have been told there are landowners who allow oil companies access over their private land, but don't support the industry.'

Bettini said misinformation, and a lack of information, expressed by both pro and anti oil and gas groups could been seen as an obstacle for honest debate.

'People are not getting all the information in a balanced way from either side.'

As a result foreigners would see a conflict between New Zealand's clean, green promotion, and the extraction of fossil fuels, she said.

'My goal for the thesis is to make sure the viewpoints from all the different members of the Taranaki community are heard.'

Bettini hopes to finish all the interviews before she leaves Taranaki in April.