New Zealand wants to end ban on oil and gas exploration

New Zealand's government said on Sunday it plans to lift a 2018 ban on oil and gas exploration, angering the opposition and environmental groups.

“Natural gas is critical to our ability to power and manage our economy, especially during peak consumption,” New Zealand’s Minister for Energy and Natural Resources, Shane Jones, said in a press release.

The minister also plans to ease the bidding process for oil exploration applications.

He said the oil and mining sector contributed more than $1.6 billion to the GDP in 2020-21.

“When the previous government was [travailliste] Forbidden Explorations in 2018 […] “This has also led to a reduction in investments in the continued development of our known gas fields,” added the minister, who is a member of the centre-right government that has been in power since November.

Greens MP Chloe Swarbrick responded to the ad by saying the government was “fuelling the climate change fire with gas and oil”.

“We can achieve a more sustainable and efficient economy by prioritizing clean energy,” she said.

The announcement comes a day after protests were held in several major cities in New Zealand, opposing another government initiative that seeks to stimulate the economy.

This other bill would speed up the permitting process for major infrastructure projects and override many environmental regulations.