Anti-drilling protests in Dunedin

More on the momentum of public opinion against off-sea oil drilling

Govt cause of oil anger, says councillor

A Dunedin City Councillor says public anger about oil exploration is boiling over because the Government has not given citizens a say.

Radio New Zealand,

9 April, 2013

Shell New Zealand holds oil and gas exploration permits in the Great South Basin and is preparing environmental and cultural impact statements for its submission to the Government.

On Monday, about a dozen protesters noisily shut down a community workshop in Dunedin run by Shell over its plans for a deepwater test well off the Otago-Southland coast.

Shell was holding the closed meeting for city and community representatives, including the Dunedin City Council, the Department of Conservation, iwi, Port Otago, fishing and environmental groups, at the Town Hall when the protesters entered about midday.

Oil Free Otago says the workshop is a phoney consultation; Shell says it believes the group represents only a tiny, but very vocal minority.

Dunedin City Councillor Jinty MacTavish believes Shell should be more open, but the anger vented on Monday is not of its making.

"They're a company, they're not a government. They're not there to hear all stakeholders' views and come out with the best outcome for the nation.

"That's the Government's job - and that is what this Government has failed to do."

Ms MacTavish says Shell's workshops have become a target because opponents have no other outlet for their anger.

Shell says it shut down the meeting for safety reasons and will engage with everyone in Otago and Southland who want to talk about its plans.

An Oil Free Otago spokesperson says Shell is looking for oil - not gas - as the company claims, and is not telling the public the full story. Rosemary Penwarden says the company must become more open.

A spokesperson for Shell New Zealand says media were excluded from the workshop on Monday because it is too early in the decision-making process.

Shell looking for warm Southland welcome

An exploration company in Invercargill today to discuss its plans for potential drilling in the Great South Basin expects a warm Southland welcome after a similar meeting was bombarded by protesters in Dunedin yesterday.

Shell New Zealand will meet stakeholders to discuss its plans for potential drilling in the Great South Basin and listen to the community's issues and concerns.

Yesterday, a similar meeting in Dunedin was shut after a group of protesters, who went to get "reinforcements", disrupted the meeting and made it impossible to proceed.

Shell New Zealand acting corporate communications manager Brendon Burns said there were about five protesters who brought in reinforcements, about 10 more protesters, during the meeting.

"You can't have dialogue with people who don't want to listen. Some of the issues had nothing to do with Great South.

"It got impossible to proceed," he said.

However, Shell were expecting a "warm Southland welcome" at today's meeting, Mr Burns said.

Shell New Zealand chairman Rob Jager said the company supported the right for peaceful, lawful protest action.

"Regrettably, there is a tiny but very vocal minority who believe they have rights beyond those of a majority and can disrupt things to the point that the views and concerns of others are not heard or addressed," he said.