Hughes Gareth: Oral questions — Questions to MinistersText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeHughes Gareth: Oral questions — Questions to Ministers[Sitting date: 31 March 2015. Volume:704;Page:2711. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]9.GARETH HUGHES (Green) to the Minister of Energy and Resources: Can he rule out exploration for oil and gas in the West Coast North Island Marine Mammal Sanctuary?Hon GERRY BROWNLEE (Leader of the House) on behalf of theMinister of Energy and Resources: There are two large exploration permits in the marine mammal sanctuary on the west coast of the North Island. These permits were granted in 2002 and 2007 by the previous Government supported by the Green Party. In addition the giant Pohokura gasfield which provides 40 percent of New Zealand’s natural gas is in the sanctuary. The activities coexist with the inhabitants of the sanctuary and there is no evidence to the contrary. So no I cannot.Gareth Hughes: Why did the Minister just yesterday offer block 17E38 in Taranaki for oil and gas exploration where a Māui’s dolphin was literally sighted and the sighting was confirmed knowing that the potential for an oil spill in a seismic survey and test can have devastating impacts on the last 55 Māui’s dolphins?Hon GERRY BROWNLEE: The Government commissioned in 2002 a report from experts looking at the issues that might exist between Māui’s dolphins and the oil and gas development of this area. What it concluded is that the oil and gas exploration creates a very very small possibility of damage to a Māui’s dolphin. Their greatest threat comes from the set-netting and that is why the Government increased the area inside the sanctuary that is free of set nets to about 100000 square kilometres per Māui’s dolphin.Gareth Hughes: When the Minister signed off oil blocks in water deeper than 3.8 kilometres was he aware of data from the US Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement that shows the deeper you drill the greater the risks of a spill?Hon GERRY BROWNLEE: Of course we keep up with data provided by other areas of exploration but we also of course have our own environmental standards and we have been progressively making those standards part of the application that people have to make when they bid for a block that is up for offer.Gareth Hughes: I seek leave to table a summary of spills of 50 barrels and greater from platforms and rigs from the US Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement which shows that one in 19 wells—Mr SPEAKER: Order! The document has been described. On the basis that it might not be easy for members to source I will put the leave. It is a summary document. Is there any objection to it being tabled? There appears to be none. It can be tabled.Document by leave laid on the Table of the House.Gareth Hughes: Why was the public given no opportunity to be consulted on block offer 2015 and was it because the Minister knew that Kiwis would not support drilling in the Māui sanctuary would not support drilling in the albatross and blue-eyed penguin sanctuary or in the pristine Victoria Forest Park?Hon GERRY BROWNLEE: I think the member is being a little disingenuous by making such a bold claim. The reality is that he appears to be saying that if Labour and the Greens do it it is OK; if National does it it is not. The reality is that it was the National Party that put in place the Environmental Protection Authority. It was the National Party that brought in the exclusive economic zone legislation. It was the National Party that brought in the standards around the requirements for anybody who is prospecting to meet environmental standards. So we are very very confident that our record is a strong one. In the end this is a huge export earner for New Zealand—our fourth biggest—and it brings in royalties of some $700 million a year. If the Green Party wants to do away with all of that and also shut down the Pohokura gasfield which provides 40 percent of all the gas used in New Zealand for home heating and for jobs factories etc. then good luck.