9. Offshore Oil and Gas Exploration—Consultation and ImpactJONATHAN YOUNG (National—New Plymouth) to the Minister of Energy and ResourcesOffshore Oil and Gas Exploration—Consultation and Impact9. JONATHAN YOUNG (National—New Plymouth) to the Minister of Energy and Resources: What is she doing to promote informed investment decisions about minerals exploration and production as required by the Crown Minerals Act—[Member resumed seat]SPEAKER: Can the member finish the question please?Jonathan Young: —1991? Sorry sir.Hon Dr MEGAN WOODS (Minister of Energy and Resources): Since becoming Minister I have been engaging with a range of stakeholders where mineral exploration and production have been discussed. For example next week I'll be attending the minerals forum in Queenstown where I'll give a ministerial address to delegates and attend a stakeholder dinner. I have met with the industry peak body group and worker representatives to discuss Government direction and policies and I have visited Oceania's goldmine in Waihī. I also note that in March this year my officials from the Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment participated in a large international showcase in Canada to promote investment in New Zealand's mineral potential.Jonathan Young: Did she intend her decision to end new offshore exploration to be a signal to the international investors and bankers to avoid New Zealand exploration—as that has been the outcome?Hon Dr MEGAN WOODS: I reject the premise in that question. What I would point out to the member is that actually the largest drop-off in surrenders in permits peaked in August last year prior to the general election. I don't know if that was the intention of the Government that member was a member of.Jonathan Young: Will she repeat her commitment that Kiwi barbecues and businesses will not run short of gas because of the Government's decision as the Taranaki petroleum basin is now being described as mature and at a new low of reserves?Hon Dr MEGAN WOODS: I would note that that question is far away from the primary question that was put down that was around minerals but yes I will give that member an assurance that his barbecue will have gas.Jonathan Young: How does she expect to meet the gas shortages which are expected to be upon New Zealanders by the end of next year?Hon Dr MEGAN WOODS: Again I point out that that question is so far from the primary question but I would point that member—SPEAKER: Order! The member will answer the question without reflecting on my judgment.Hon Dr MEGAN WOODS: Sorry. I would like to point that member to the figures released this week of what the gas reserves for New Zealand are and that is good news. It is 10.5 years—that is pretty much the same as it has been for the last 20 years. It certainly isn't the lowest projection of gas reserves that we have had so that member should stop his scaremongering.Rt Hon Winston Peters: Could the Minister confirm just in case she's wrong that there is an emergency that she could hook up to the National Party?SPEAKER: Order!Jonathan Young: Did the Minister comply with the Crown Minerals Act which requires any changes to the minerals programme for petroleum to be publicly notified with opportunity for submissions when the industry and other affected people were only informed the night before her 12 April decision was announced?Hon Dr MEGAN WOODS: I'd like to point out to that member that the block offer process is not an instrument of the Crown Minerals Act.Jonathan Young: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I am not sure what to do about that answer which had significant inaccuracy to it because the minerals programme for petroleum is attached to the Crown Minerals Act as an empowering piece—SPEAKER: If the member thinks that the answer is inaccurate and that it is a deliberate inaccuracy he will write to me and that is the appropriate thing to do. If he thinks it's an accidental inaccuracy then he will write to the Minister. If it is inaccurate I am absolutely certain the Minister will be back to correct it. But I'm not in a position it being more than a decade since I had responsibility for the area to answer the question.Jonathan Young: Will she and the Prime Minister be holding any public meetings with the Taranaki community this coming Friday when they visit New Plymouth?Hon Dr MEGAN WOODS: The Prime Minister and I have a very full diary on Friday when we visit New Plymouth. We will be meeting with many members of the public from Taranaki and we intend to hold a range of meetings. There are not public meetings scheduled.Jonathan Young: What is her response to Transpower's advice that New Zealand will need to more than double its electricity generation by 2050—the equivalent of 22 more Clyde Dams—and their caution that this represents a concentration of risk because substantially growing demand being met by increasingly intermittent energy sources is a concern?Hon Dr MEGAN WOODS: My response to that is that is exactly why this Government has started doing the necessary work to plan for that transition and that increase in capacity that will be required. It is precisely the reason why the transition to 100 percent renewable electricity is one of the first two tasks that the interim independent Climate Commission has started charting out the pathway on.Hon James Shaw: Has New Zealand ever doubled its electricity generation in its history and does she have faith in the electricity markets to be able to do that?Hon Dr MEGAN WOODS: Yes.