Otago oil protesters arrive in Invercargill

Friday, 24 January 2020

Abe Baillie climbs the oil rig while Andrew Sutherland and Jen Olsen give support at Wachner Place for a protest against oil exploration at the Great South Basin.

Protesters arrived in Invercargill on Friday and put up an oil rig in Wachner Place to show their disapproval that Austrian company OMV has been given approval for exploration drilling off the coast of Otago.

In September 2019, the Environmental Protection Agency approved OMV's applications to undertake the drilling of up to 10 exploration and appraisal wells at the Great South Basin.

Extinction Rebellion Southland organiser Raylene Carston said it invited Oil Free Otago to speak to Southlanders.

* Councillor raises concerns over oil drilling in Great South Basin

* OMV granted marine discharge consent for Taranaki Basin drilling programme**

Oil Free Otago spokesperson Jack Brazil said if an accident were to occur from the oil exploration drilling it would catastrophic for the region.

However, OMV Australia senior vice-president Gabriel Selischi said OMV was 'very confident' that it had done everything possible to ensure that there would be no environmental impact from the Great South Basin drilling activities.

OMV had put a great deal of work into ensuring all aspects of the drilling programme were world's best practice, Selischi said.

The Tawhaki-1 well in the Great South Basin had by far the highest level of environmental and safety preparation of all the exploration wells drilled in NZ, he said.

The COSL Prospector that has a water depth of 1500 metres and 7500 metres drilling depths, could handle North Sea conditions, was also the most modern and technically capable drilling rig to operate in New Zealand waters, he said.

The rig would only operate through a restricted operational window to ensure the rig undertook its drilling activities in mild weather conditions, he said.

Oil Free Otago activist Rosemary Penwarden the focus should be looking at alternative fuels.

Under the 2012 exclusive economic zone and continental shelf [environmental effects] act, it specifically prevented climate change to be included into consideration of the consent process.

Brazil believed the exploration would bring little benefit to New Zealand's economy.

OMV went through a highly detailed, technical, and comprehensive process with Maritime NZ, the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) and WorkSafe to ensure that potential environmental effects could be minimised or avoided, Selischi said.

Environmental Protection Authority climate, land and oceans acting general manager Michelle Ward said the evidence that was provided during the consent process did not identify any effect of activities that were likely to compromise biological diversity, marine species, ecosystems and processes.

OMV estimates that the total economic benefits to Otago and Southland could equate to an increased Gross Domestic Product of $185 million, employment for 2700 FTE years, and household incomes of more than $143 million.