Whangarei-based Social Credit Party Leader Chris Leitch was happy with the large crowd at the "Don't Demolish the Refinery" public meeting he organised at Forum North on Sunday.
Whangarei-based Social Credit Party Leader Chris Leitch was happy with the large crowd at the "Don't Demolish the Refinery" public meeting he organised at Forum North on Sunday.
About 250 people had a clear message for the Government at a public meeting in Whangārei - ''Don't Demolish The Refinery".
Social Credit leader Chris Leitch organised the meeting at the Forum North from 1pm on Sunday and was happy with the turnout.
Refining NZ has been trading under thename of Channel Infrastructure since April 1 after converting the site into an import terminal and the refinery site at Marsden Pt is being decommissioned to become an import fuel terminal only.
A crowd of around 250 people attended the ''Don't Demolish The Refinery" public meeting at Forum North, Whangārei, on Sunday.
Channel Infrastructure's biggest shareholders, BP, Z Energy and Mobil Exxon, will import refined fuel from abroad after Refining NZ shareholders voted overwhelmingly in August for the change to go ahead. This was because of what it said was a glut of fuel supplies globally, combined with the impact of Covid-19 on refinery output, pipeline fees and plummeting demand for fuel.
The means no more refining fuel on the site, but that's something Leitch, and those at Sunday's meeting, want the Government to step in over, and save the refinery machinery to give the country security of fuel supply. They also want the Government to consider converting the refinery into a bio-fuel site, making sustainable bio-fuels.
Speakers at the meeting included Craig Harrison, secretary of the Maritime Union; Aaron Holroyd, First Union Operators site Delegate; Edward Miller from First Union, Brian Cox, CEO of the Bio-Energy Association - who appeared via live feed - and Leitch, although the loss of his voice saw his address given by Jason Jobsis.
Speakers on Sunday included Craig Harrison, Maritime Union; Aaron Holroyd, senior refinery operator and First Union site delegate; Edward Miller, First Union, and Brian Cox, Bio-Energy Association
''The decision to close the Marsden Point oil refinery is nothing more nor less than one driven by profit. It has nothing to do with the age of it, the condition of it, or its capabilities,'' Leitch said.
''Many people believe it's old and out of date. That's not the case. While it's true maintenance has been less than it should have been since the decision was made offshore by the oil companies that it should be closed, it is in the top third of refineries internationally.
''The Refinery's web site boasted this until a few months ago - 'We are a critical link in New Zealand's energy infrastructure and a major economic and social contributor to Northland. Refining NZ has a reputation as one of Asia Pacific's safest and most reliable refineries'.
''It's better than the two refineries Australia has decided to keep operational with subsidies to ensure it has fuel security. Some of that subsidy money is underpinning upgrades to those two refineries.''
The crowd started gathering early for the "Don't Demolish The Refinery" public meeting in Whangārei on Sunday. Photo / Mike Dinsdale
The closure also has little to do with whether it was profitable, Leitch claimed.
''Sure, Covid had affected many years of good profits, but a report the company commissioned from advisors Grant Samuels, predicted it would return to good profits again by 2024. The world is opening up and the company's profits were already surpassing those predictions this year – two years early.''
He said given the situation in Ukraine, and other global issues affecting fuel costs and security, it was vital to keep the refinery going.
Leitch said Marsden Point could become the centre of a new technology development and could be used to burn the country's waste to be turned into energy.
He said the Government could have bought the refinery shares for $400 million to give the country an "insurance policy" - a drop in the bucket from the $55 billion the government-owned Reserve Bank has created to fight the Covid Pandemic.
Guest speaker Brian Cox, CEO of the Bio-Energy Association speaking at Sunday's ''Don't Demolish The Refinery" meeting in Whangārei. Photo / Mike Dinsdale
Cox said it was a short-sighted decision to close the refinery and it could be used to create advanced bio-fuels to keep the country running.
