Horizons Regional Council will look into the risks and benefits posed by fracking in Taranaki to better understand how it could affect its region.
Councillors voted at a meeting yesterday to have a risk analysis report on fracking compiled following a visit to Taranaki industry sites by staff and councillors early next year.
The report will assess the risks and benefits associated with oil and gas production and waste management in the region. It will also likely identify where in the Horizons region oil and gas activity could occur and the proximity of those locations to towns, villages, rivers and known aquifers.
Fracking - hydraulic fracturing - is a process in which chemicals and sand are injected underground at high pressure to fracture rock and release gas and oil.
Wanganui representative on Horizons David Cotton said he didn't expect the Horizons region to be flooded with consent applications to frack but it was a good idea to be prepared. He said the trip to Taranaki and subsequent report should be about learning what questions to ask applicants. "The One Plan that we've got should cover off most of it. But we thought it would be worthwhile going to Taranaki and meeting with the councillors up there and meeting with some of the residents that have been affected. So we're getting a cross-section," he said.
"It's a big issue and we want to make sure that if we do get any applications we are prepared for it."
Public speakers at yesterday's meeting highlighted the need for engagement and consultation with the community and the importance of understanding the environmental, social and economic effects of fracking.
Acting Horizons chairman Paul Rieger said, "In order to get this process right we need to first understand what information we are looking for, seek and review that information and then consult with our ratepayers."
The tour is scheduled for March 2015 and will include visits to and presentations from the Taranaki Regional Council, oil companies and members of the community.
There are no applications for further exploration wells or fracking before Horizons at the moment. Once completed, the report will be made public.