National has been warned its plans to double renewable energy across the country must respect the rights of mana whenua with electricity companies profiteering off taonga - resources - originally taken off Māori by the Crown.
During a visit to Contact Energy’s geothermal Te Mihi Power Station near Taupō, party leader Christopher Luxon said doing so would be a “bottom line”.
Luxon also called on climate change deniers to “give it up” while vowing that any government he led would meet all emissions reduction targets.
Luxon spent his Saturday in Taupō with local MP Louise Upston, who has held the seat since 2008. They started out at the power station, opened by then-deputy prime minister Bill English in 2014.
The visit was a chance to discuss National’s approach to bringing down greenhouse gas emissions and meeting climate change targets, with a major component being plans to double the country’s renewable energy capacity. Te Mihi produces enough energy to power a city the size of Hamilton and Contact Energy is already expanding it.
Contact staff present for the visit were positive about National’s plans, including scrapping Labour’s Lake Onslow power storage scheme.
Luxon appeared excited about the potential to expand, as well as work already under way to capture the carbon emissions (geothermal plants produce about 5 per cent of what a coal plant does) and some of the minerals, such as silica and lithium, extracted in the process.
Dominic Bowden of Ngāti Tūwharetoa, who handles tangata whenua relationships with Contact Energy, said projects like the geothermal power station were important for the local economy but there were also environmental and cultural impacts, such as for hot and cold springs, puna and ngawha.
He had worked at the power station and so had his dad before him.
“This industry puts kai on our tables but at the same time it does have negative effects on our taonga, so it is a bit of a catch-22 for Māori.
“Hapu, iwi feel this was a resource, a taonga, taken off them some time ago which the Crown then offloaded to private enterprise.
“There is a mamae, deep-seated issue with that.
“Companies like Contact in general are very good for the community.
“So tangata whenua need to keep that in mind as well, but we’ve got to do it in a way tangata whenua aren’t losing out all the time and giving away things for the benefit of the rest of Aotearoa.”
He said Contact Energy had been working with mana whenua to partner where it could, particularly around sustainability, and he hoped any future expansions around the country would do the same.
He also said the management of natural resources was currently being addressed in the Waitangi Tribunal through a water and geothermal claim.
Luxon stated any new renewable energy projects would uphold any existing Treaty of Waitangi settlements and claims.
“Treaty settlements must be constantly honoured and respected, it doesn’t finish.
“It’s important those commitments are continued to be upheld. That is a bottom line here.”
In typical Luxon fashion he was full of questions during a tour of the plant, even jokingly apologising at one point: “I ask questions all day”.
“Okay, I think I’ve got it,” he said near the end, as if preparing for some sort of test.
But Luxon was not quite as excited to answer questions himself when it came to talking about NZ First and if National could work with them after the election, especially in light of recent comments about climate change.
On Friday at a public meeting in Remuera, NZ First leader Winston Peters questioned the “scientific evidence” behind climate change initiatives and said New Zealand should not have to account and pay for emissions that would “bankrupt” the country.
Luxon again refused to rule out working with Peters if National needed their support to form a government after the election.
But he said he would ensure New Zealand met all of its climate change targets, including the first emissions reduction budget by 2025, though he wouldn’t commit to resigning if it was not met.
He said there would be no place in any future government he led for climate change deniers.
“Do not be a climate denier. Do not be a climate minimalist. This is real.
“Give it up. You can’t be a climate denier or a climate minimalist in 2023. It’s real, it’s happening, the science is true.”
Later during a walkabout in the main streets of Taupō, Luxon was given a largely warm reception. He was recognised by passers-by, with some people calling out his name and support for the party from their cars.
He met one super fan sporting a Warriors shirt, with the pair posing for a video message ahead of Saturday night’s NRL preliminary final against the Brisbane Broncos.
One of his stops was at the gallery of artist Graham Moeller. Again Luxon was full of questions, asking how Moeller achieved the “depth” and referencing his love of Bob Ross YouTube videos.
Moeller then showed Luxon a painting he had done of Onetangi Beach on Waiheke Island, which Luxon has said was his favourite.
Incidentally, it was hanging above another of Raumati South, the favourite of Labour leader Chris Hipkins - Moeller said it was an accident at first, but he’d kept it for a bit of a laugh.
Which one of the two will be holidaying at their respective spots this summer as prime minister or MP will be become clear in three weeks’ time.