Claim North Island Maui dolphin sanctuary under threat from oil exploration

Campaigners fear any drilling off Auckland's west coast will endanger the already critically-endangered Maui's dolphin. Photo / DoC

Council urged to oppose drilling that would affect endangered mammals’ breeding area.

Auckland councillors have been bombarded with more than 200,000 emails urging them to oppose the latest proposed oil exploration plan.

The fierce lobbying effort by Greenpeace has come ahead of a vote this morning on an officers' recommendation urging the Government to keep part of a marine mammal sanctuary clear from its 2015 block offer, but stopping short of opposing drilling altogether.

The proposed block at the centre of the controversy stretches 61,485sq km across the offshore Taranaki Basin but cuts 125ha inside the North Island West Coast Marine Mammal Sanctuary, considered home to the critically-endangered Maui's dolphin. The council recommendation asked that the block's shoreward boundary be amended to be at least 12 nautical miles offshore so it avoided the sanctuary and dolphin habitat, and that any activities have minimal impact.

Council chief planner Roger Blakeley said similar concerns thrown up by the previous block offer drew nearly the same response.

"It's a highly endangered species and our council had a very strong view that the exploration should not be occurring within that Maui's dolphin sanctuary area and being a further danger." The recommendation further called on the Government to recognise the "sensitivity of potentially impacted areas" and ensure all risks of oil spill were minimised.

But Greenpeace, which expected to attract 100 people for the meeting, has lobbied the council to reject any exploration plans, as Christchurch City Council did last week. Around 10,000 of its supporters had contacted Mayor Len Brown and all 20 councillors this week.

The Waitakere Ranges Local Board has also come out staunchly against exploration plans, fearing that a spill off Auckland's west coast would affect a "highly sensitive ecological area" that was a key breeding ground for several seabird species, among them the critically-endangered fairy tern.

Yesterday, marine scientists voiced their worries about any activity in or near the mammal sanctuary.

Auckland University marine biologist Dr Rochelle Constantine described the block proposal as "extremely unfortunate", with any activity within the sanctuary defeating its purpose of protection for the Maui's dolphin.

Department of Conservation officials had advised the Government of the block's overlap, although a DoC spokesman said the sanctuary already included regulations to lessen the impact of seismic survey activity.

Energy and Resources Minister Simon Bridges said the sanctuary was not designated as a Schedule 4 area, so was therefore not an exception.

Government research had shown the threat to Maui's dolphins from oil and gas development was "extremely small", he said.

"It's important to remember that block offer consultation is the first step in a very long process and only an extremely small percentage of permits lead to a discovery and then progress to mining permits and active mining."

What's the issue?
Auckland Council's regional strategy and policy committee will today vote on a submission on the Government's proposed 2015 block offer for petroleum exploration. The recommendation, subject to the vote, asks for the Government to exclude from one of the blocks 125ha of the North Island West Coast Marine Mammal Sanctuary, which is home to the critically endangered Maui's dolphin.

Does the council oppose oil exploration in general?
Its recommendation doesn't, but it does ask the Government to recognise the "sensitivity of potentially impacted areas" and ensure all risks of oil spill are minimised. However, Greenpeace has been fiercely lobbying councillors with tens of thousands of emails to do as Christchurch City Council did last week and oppose any plans. The Waitakere Ranges Local Board has also staunchly opposed any drilling plans off the West Auckland coast.

What does the Government say?
Energy and Resources Minister Simon Bridges points to government research that shows the threat from oil and gas development to Maui's dolphins is very small. He also stresses that the consultation is the first step in a long process and only an "extremely small percentage" of exploration permits lead to a discovery.