This letter has been endorsed by Iwi and hapu of the eastern seaboard of Aotearoa. It is our ancestral waters that are under threat... We invite all New Zealanders, and indeed everyone anywhere who cares about the future of the planet, to sign on with us. Nā mātou, Ngā Hapū o Te Tairāwhiti tae atu ki Te Tauihu o te Waka Te Whanau a Tapuaeururangi Te Whanau a Kahu Te Runanganui o Ngati Porou Te Whanau a Te Aotaki Te Whanau a Te Aopare Te Whanau a Hunaara Te Whanau a Te Aotaihi Te Whanau a Hinerupe Te Whanau a Hinerupe ki Waiapu Te Whanau a Rakaimataura Ngati Putaanga Te Whanau a Tapuhi Te Whanau a Karuwai Ngai Tane Te Whanau a Takimoana Te Whanau a Hunaara ki te tonga Te Whanau a Rerewa Ngati Hokopu Ngati Horowai Te Whanau a Uruhonea Rakaimataura Te Whanau a Pokai Te Whanau a Hineauta Ngati Rangi Te Whanau a Umuariki Ruataupare Ki Tuparoa Ngai Tangihaere Te Whanau a Hinetapora Ngati Hinekehu Ngai Rauru Ngati Uepohatu Te Aitanga a Mate Te Aowera Te Whanau a Hinekehu Takutai Kaitiaki Trust Te Whanau a Iritekura Ngai Taharora Te Whanau a Ruataupare ki Tokomaru Ngati Hau ki Anaura Nga Ariki Kaiputahi Ngati Oneone Wainui Marae Tarere Marae Te Aitanga a Mahaki Ngai Tamanuhiri Rongowhakaata Iwi Trust Ngati Rangiwaho, Rangiwaho Marae - Te Kopua mai Paritu Ngai Te Ipu ki Whakaki Ngai Tu ki Rakato/Mahia Hikairo ki Whareongaonga Ngati Te Korou Pahauwera Ngati Kahungunu Iwi Inc. Ngati Hinepare (ki Kahungunu) Te Runanganui o Heretaunga Ngati Mahu Ngai Tawhao Ngati Kahungunu ki Poneke Rangitane Rangitane o Kaituna Motu Wairaka Marae Ngāi Tūmapūhia-a-Rangi ki Te Wairarapa Ngati Hinewaka Ngati Hine Ngati Hinepua Ngai Tarita Ngati Rakaiwhakairi Ngati Hinewaka Ngai Tukoko Ngati Ngapuoterangi Ngati Rakairangi Ngati Hinetauira Ngati Kahukuranui Ngati Rua Ngati Rongomaiaia Ngati Rangaranga Ngati Kahukuraawhitia Ngati Mamoe (Ki Wairarapa) Ngati Parakiore, Nga Ruahuihui o Tamaki Nui A Rua Te Iwi o Tamaki Nui A Rua Ngai Te Ao

A sustainable solution to the Hill St intersection needs to be developed. Sacrificing the livability and function of the town is not acceptable. The functionality and feel of Warkworth is under threat if roading solutions do not support the township to thrive then it is toast. ...the notion that traffic turning into Elizabeth St is a major factor is nuts. Cars making this turn rarely (if ever) hold up traffic trying to pass through to SH1. Traffic has to wait to turn out from Elizabeth to head to Snells and Matakana but the traffic turning into Elizabeth St is not the bulk of what they wait for. This 'solution' is how a small town dies...priority is being given to traffic passing through our town at the expense of those who live, work, play and support the economy. Totally short sighted, money and time being better spent developing a solution that addresses the traffic sustainably while supporting our town centre and ability for our community to function as a community.

In April this year the Horowhenua District Council announced it was tendering their stock of community housing for sale to an alternative community housing provider. The justification given by councils NZ wide, including, Horowhenua, to cease providing housing, has been that Government withdrew its responsibility in this respect (including funding) some time back. HDC insist they’ve identified that "the 'most sustainable' way forward for delivering pensioner housing was to transfer the stock and the responsibility to a housing provider that had the focus and resources to respond to the housing needs of the district.” At the same time they say they "… want to ensure that community housing in Horowhenua remains accessible and affordable, and is also connected to services that enhance social connectedness and wellbeing." Horowhenua’s Grey Power however, disagrees saying it is their belief that provision of affordable housing must remain a core activity for central and local government. "The proposal to sell pensioner housing, a key determinant of community wellbeing, is a direct antithesis to community wellbeing” they say, and "a council is in a position to see issues across its district and should have concerns about its constituency … a social housing provider will not have the same view." We also see the withdrawal of affordable housing for the elderly and disabled as a backward step. HDC state on their Positive Ageing Action Plan that “Horowhenua is a district that embraces its older residents as a highly valued integral part of the community”. We would like to see that plan include the option of the ongoing provision of affordable housing for the elderly, especially in the light of growing homelessness in our country. Handing over this responsibility to private and corporate interests is not going to guarantee they remain housed. A business will always strive to maximize profits and not to ensure the housing of the more vulnerable. It is simply not in their mandate. We therefore do not believe that any clause of sale that stipulates the needs of the elderly be considered will be effective, and that any such provision would eventually be discarded in favour of economic interests. In line with their pledge to partnership, HDC have said that iwi and current tenants were consulted. Public feedback however is not confirming this. We would like to see some transparency on this pre sale history. If you agree that the provision of community housing should remain a part of Council’s responsibility please sign our petition. (1) Horowhenua District Council agrees to put pensioner housing on the market <http://www.stuff.co.nz/manawatu-standard/news/78903531/Horowhenua-District-Council-agrees-to-put-pensioner-housing-on-the-market> (2) Iwi consulted on Horowhenua housing sell off http://www.waateanews.com/Waatea+News.html?story_id=MTQxNTY=&v=173 (3) ‘Keep Council Houses’ <http://kapitiindependentnews.net.nz/keep-council-houses/> (4) Government open to social housing options <https://national.org.nz/news/2016-05-27-government-open-to-social-housing-options> (5) Government, council seek interest from community housing providers in Horowhenua <https://www.nbr.co.nz/article/government-council-seek-interest-community-housing-providers-horowhenua-b-191828> (6) Proposed social and affordable housing transfer in Horowhenua and Otaki <http://www.treasury.govt.nz/statesector/socialhousing/horowhenua-otaki-sht>

Because thousands of greyhounds get killed every year because of their treatment behind the scenes of greyhound racing.

This is important as Helen kelly had dedicated her life to NZers from teaching in Johnsonville, Wellington to advocating for the Pike River Mine workers.

We ask that Timaru District Council advocate for both current and future generations by adopting a public position of opposition to oil prospecting and drilling and that they express this and on any occasion that they are consulted on this topic. Oil companies have been offered the opportunity by the New Zealand government to prospect for oil close to coast of Timaru. Consultations about oil permit areas are held with Iwi, Hapu and Local Authorities (such as the Timaru District Council ), who have the opportunity to put in a submission to New Zealand Petroleum and Minerals before Friday November 18th. There are many concerns about Deep Sea Oil prospecting and drilling including: The seismic surveying used to identify resources in the sea bed is known to be harmful, even fatal, to marine life and to mammals such as whales and dolphins in particular. If oil is found and drilling starts there will be significant risks to our harbours and coastline. The wells would be significantly deeper than the one in the Gulf of Mexico, which took months to close off when there was an oil spill, and devastated the ecology and the economy of the coastal area. We must not let this happen here. The Rena disaster demonstrated how unprepared New Zealand is for a major oil spill. Peak Oil is already here so we have to switch to different ways of living anyway. It is prudent to use the resources which are available now to move towards alternatives. The effects of Climate Change are already being experienced and it is now fully accepted that we have to change our oil dependent lifestyles. To have a moderate chance of keeping temperature increase below 2 degrees centigrade, the allowable global carbon budget for the rest of this century is 400-850 gigatonnes (Gt = 1 billion tonnes.) Coal, oil and gas mines currently operating or under construction will emit 940 Gt over their lifespan. This exceeds the carbon budget. Clearly more mines are not compatible with climate safety.The International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) warned of ' irreversible and dangerous' changes to the climate if the use of fossil fuels continues. Climate scientists have indicated that we must act now to avoid catastrophic climate change. It is unjustifiable to risk environmental and ecosystem damage to search for a fuel that cannot be safely used without jeopardising the future. As governments legislate to limit greenhouse gas emissions, mining companies will demand compensation for their ‘stranded assets’. This will burden the taxpayer. We need no new oil infrastructure to create stranded assets. Oil production is not economically sustainable (extraction of a finite resource the use of which contributes to climate change could never be sustainable in any way) nor would oil production contribute at all to our local economy other than to have a potentially huge adverse impact if an accident did occur. Oil exploration, both in terms of the immediate risk of an oil spill but also in terms of the contribution to climate change, endangers fishing – customary, commercial or recreational, In fact the number of jobs created by oil exploration is relatively small. Many more jobs are created by investment in alternative energy infrastructure. The idea that Taranaki is an area made rich by the oil industry is simply not true. Taranaki people’s annual average income is lower than the national average. Most of the wealth in Taranaki is held in the urban areas, and people living nearest to the well sites (such as Kaponga, Eltham, Patea, Stratford East and Waitara East), are in fact the most deprived, which is reflected in their low socio-economic levels and high school decile ratings.’ The 620 people who are directly employed by the oil industry, and the 1,160 people who work in support services are subjected to the boom-and-bust nature of the industries price cycles. Even New Plymouth MP Jonathan Young has said that the region needs to explore other options, such as horticulture and tourism.Oil exploration therefore risks our economy but also people's well being. For generations people have lived off the abundance of the sea, for Tangata Whenua this is especially important as the sea is their food basket. We ask that Timaru District Council advocate for the people and communities they serve by making a public statement of opposition to Deep Sea Oil exploration and that they express their opposition generally and on any occasion that they are consulted on this topic. We need to take real climate action now and say NO to deep water drilling. We ask our councillors to represent our voices. References: [1]http://www.nzpam.govt.nz/cms/about-nzpam/news/publications/petroleum-and-minerals-report-2013.pdf (2)www.mbie.govt.nz/info-services/business/business-growth-agenda/regions/documents-image-library/rear-2014/Regional%20Economic%20Activity%20Report%202014%20Part%202.pdf) (3) http://www.stuff.co.nz/taranaki-daily-news/news/64958753/Barrels-of-woe-for-Taranaki-oil-industry (4) http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/274583/drop-in-mining-royalties (5)Nearly one in four Taranaki kids doing it tough" - 18 July 2015 (6) Taranaki unemployment rates grow to 7.3%" - 6 August 2015

In 2015 Kaikoura District Council took a strong stance against deep sea oil drilling and requested "the exclusion of the entire proposed off shore Block Offer 2016 release area." This is our chance to protect Kaikoura coasts and make sure they do the same again. Tell the KDC that we want a clear statement sent to Central Government saying NO to deep sea drilling off our coast, and YES to a thriving and healthy clean energy economy.

We ask that Northland Regional Council advocate for both current and future generations by adopting a public position of opposition to oil prospecting and drilling and that they express this and on any occasion that they are consulted on this topic. Oil companies have been offered the opportunity by the New Zealand government to prospect for oil close to the west coast of Northland. Consultations about oil permit areas are held with Iwi, Hapu and Local Authorities (such as the Northland Regional Council ), who have the opportunity to put in a submission to New Zealand Petroleum and Minerals before Friday November 18th. There are many concerns about Deep Sea Oil prospecting and drilling including: The seismic surveying used to identify resources in the sea bed is known to be harmful, even fatal, to marine life and to mammals such as whales and dolphins in particular. If oil is found and drilling starts there will be significant risks to our harbours and coastline. The wells would be significantly deeper than the one in the Gulf of Mexico, which took months to close off when there was an oil spill, and devastated the ecology and the economy of the coastal area. We must not let this happen here. The Rena disaster demonstrated how unprepared New Zealand is for a major oil spill. Peak Oil is already here so we have to switch to different ways of living anyway. It is prudent to use the resources which are available now to move towards alternatives. The effects of Climate Change are already being experienced and it is now fully accepted that we have to change our oil dependent lifestyles. To have a moderate chance of keeping temperature increase below 2 degrees centigrade, the allowable global carbon budget for the rest of this century is 400-850 gigatonnes (Gt = 1 billion tonnes.) Coal, oil and gas mines currently operating or under construction will emit 940 Gt over their lifespan. This exceeds the carbon budget. Clearly more mines are not compatible with climate safety.The International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) warned of ' irreversible and dangerous' changes to the climate if the use of fossil fuels continues. Climate scientists have indicated that we must act now to avoid catastrophic climate change. It is unjustifiable to risk environmental and ecosystem damage to search for a fuel that cannot be safely used without jeopardising the future. As governments legislate to limit greenhouse gas emissions, mining companies will demand compensation for their ‘stranded assets’. This will burden the taxpayer. We need no new oil infrastructure to create stranded assets. Oil production is not economically sustainable (extraction of a finite resource the use of which contributes to climate change could never be sustainable in any way) nor would oil production contribute at all to our local economy other than to have a potentially huge adverse impact if an accident did occur. Oil exploration, both in terms of the immediate risk of an oil spill but also in terms of the contribution to climate change, endangers fishing – customary, commercial or recreational, In fact the number of jobs created by oil exploration is relatively small. Many more jobs are created by investment in alternative energy infrastructure. The idea that Taranaki is an area made rich by the oil industry is simply not true. Taranaki people’s annual average income is lower than the national average. Most of the wealth in Taranaki is held in the urban areas, and people living nearest to the well sites (such as Kaponga, Eltham, Patea, Stratford East and Waitara East), are in fact the most deprived, which is reflected in their low socio-economic levels and high school decile ratings.’ The 620 people who are directly employed by the oil industry, and the 1,160 people who work in support services are subjected to the boom-and-bust nature of the industries price cycles. Even New Plymouth MP Jonathan Young has said that the region needs to explore other options, such as horticulture and tourism.Oil exploration therefore risks our economy but also people's well being. For generations people have lived off the abundance of the sea, for Tangata Whenua this is especially important as the sea is their food basket. We ask that Northland Regional Council advocate for the people and communities they serve by making a public statement of opposition to Deep Sea Oil exploration and that they express their opposition generally and on any occasion that they are consulted on this topic. We need to take real climate action now and say NO to deep water drilling. We ask our councillors to represent our voices. References: [1]http://www.nzpam.govt.nz/cms/about-nzpam/news/publications/petroleum-and-minerals-report-2013.pdf (2)www.mbie.govt.nz/info-services/business/business-growth-agenda/regions/documents-image-library/rear-2014/Regional%20Economic%20Activity%20Report%202014%20Part%202.pdf) (3) http://www.stuff.co.nz/taranaki-daily-news/news/64958753/Barrels-of-woe-for-Taranaki-oil-industry (4) http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/274583/drop-in-mining-royalties (5)Nearly one in four Taranaki kids doing it tough" - 18 July 2015 (6) Taranaki unemployment rates grow to 7.3%" - 6 August 2015

We ask that Southland District Council and Environment Southland Regional Council advocate for both current and future generations by adopting a public position of opposition to oil and gas prospecting and drilling and that they express this and on any occasion that they are consulted on this topic. Oil companies have been offered the opportunity by the New Zealand government to prospect for oil and gas onshore in the Western Southland Basin and offshore in the Great South and Canterbury Basins. Consultations about oil permit areas are held with Iwi, Hapu and Local Authorities (such as the Timaru District Council), who have the opportunity to put in a submission to New Zealand Petroleum and Minerals before Friday November 18th. Please note that there was no southland area previously available. There are many other concerns about oil and gas prospecting and drilling including: The seismic surveying used to identify resources in the sea bed is known to be harmful, even fatal, to marine life and to mammals such as whales and dolphins in particular. If oil is found and drilling starts there will be significant risks to our harbours and coastline. The wells would be significantly deeper than the one in the Gulf of Mexico, which took months to close off when there was an oil spill, and devastated the ecology and the economy of the coastal area. We must not let this happen here. The Rena disaster demonstrated how unprepared New Zealand is for a major oil spill. Peak Oil is already here so we have to switch to different ways of living anyway. It is prudent to use the resources which are available now to move towards alternatives. The effects of Climate Change are already being experienced and it is now fully accepted that we have to change our oil dependent lifestyles. To have a moderate chance of keeping temperature increase below 2 degrees centigrade, the allowable global carbon budget for the rest of this century is 400-850 gigatonnes (Gt = 1 billion tonnes.) Coal, oil and gas mines currently operating or under construction will emit 940 Gt over their lifespan. This exceeds the carbon budget. Clearly more mines are not compatible with climate safety.The International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) warned of ' irreversible and dangerous' changes to the climate if the use of fossil fuels continues. Climate scientists have indicated that we must act now to avoid catastrophic climate change. It is unjustifiable to risk environmental and ecosystem damage to search for a fuel that cannot be safely used without jeopardising the future. As governments legislate to limit greenhouse gas emissions, mining companies will demand compensation for their ‘stranded assets’. This will burden the taxpayer. We need no new oil infrastructure to create stranded assets. Oil production is not economically sustainable (extraction of a finite resource the use of which contributes to climate change could never be sustainable in any way) nor would oil production contribute at all to our local economy other than to have a potentially huge adverse impact if an accident did occur. Oil exploration, both in terms of the immediate risk of an oil spill but also in terms of the contribution to climate change, endangers fishing – customary, commercial or recreational, In fact the number of jobs created by oil exploration is relatively small. Many more jobs are created by investment in alternative energy infrastructure. The idea that Taranaki is an area made rich by the oil industry is simply not true. Taranaki people’s annual average income is lower than the national average. Most of the wealth in Taranaki is held in the urban areas, and people living nearest to the well sites (such as Kaponga, Eltham, Patea, Stratford East and Waitara East), are in fact the most deprived, which is reflected in their low socio-economic levels and high school decile ratings.’ The 620 people who are directly employed by the oil industry, and the 1,160 people who work in support services are subjected to the boom-and-bust nature of the industries price cycles. Even New Plymouth MP Jonathan Young has said that the region needs to explore other options, such as horticulture and tourism.Oil exploration therefore risks our economy but also people's well being. For generations people have lived off the abundance of the sea, for Tangata Whenua this is especially important as the sea is their food basket. We ask that Southland District Council and the Environment Southland Regional Council advocate for the people and communities they serve by making a public statement of opposition to all the block offers that are onshore and offshore and that they express their opposition generally and on any occasion that they are consulted on this topic. We need to take real climate action now and say NO to onshore and offshore prospecting. We ask our councilors to represent our voices. Block offers: Canterbury - Great south basins (offshore): http://www.nzpam.govt.nz/cms/permits/petroleum/block-offer/2017/images-files/sld-consultation.png/image_view_fullscreen Southland (onshore): http://www.nzpam.govt.nz/cms/permits/petroleum/block-offer/2017/images-files/gsc-onsultation.png/image_view_fullscreen References: [1]http://www.nzpam.govt.nz/cms/about-nzpam/news/publications/petroleum-and-minerals-report-2013.pdf (2)http://www.mbie.govt.nz/info-services/business/business-growth-agenda/regions/documents-image-library/rear-2014/Regional%20Economic%20Activity%20Report%202014%20Part%202.pdf) (3) http://www.stuff.co.nz/taranaki-daily-news/news/64958753/Barrels-of-woe-for-Taranaki-oil-industry (4) http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/274583/drop-in-mining-royalties (5)Nearly one in four Taranaki kids doing it tough" - 18 July 2015 (6) Taranaki unemployment rates grow to 7.3%" - 6 August 2015

We ask that GDC advocate for both current and future generations by adopting a position of opposition to Deep Sea Oil prospecting and drilling. Oil companies have been given the right to prospect for oil around the coast of Tūranganui-a-Kiwa, Gisborne region. Consultations about Deep Sea Oil permits are with Iwi, Hapu and Local Authorities. There are many concerns about Deep Sea Oil prospecting and drilling. The seismic surveying used to identify resources in the sea bed is known to be harmful, even fatal, to marine life and to mammals such as whales and dolphins in particular. If oil is found and drilling starts there will be significant risks to our harbours and coastline. The wells would be significantly deeper than the one in the Gulf of Mexico, which took months to close off when there was an oil spill, and devastated the ecology and the economy of the coastal area. We must not let this happen here. The Rena disaster demonstrated how unprepared New Zealand is for a major oil spill. Peak Oil is already here so we have to switch to different ways of living anyway. It is prudent to use the resources which are available now to move towards alternatives. The effects of Climate Change are already being experienced and it is now fully accepted that we have to change our oil dependent lifestyles. The International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) warned of ' irreversible and dangerous' changes to the climate if the use of fossil fuels continues. Climate scientists have indicated that we must act now to avoid catastrophic climate change. It is unjustifiable to risk environmental and ecosystem damage to search for a fuel that cannot be safely used without jeopardising the future. Oil production is not economically sustainable (extraction of a finite resource the use of which contributes to climate change could never be sustainable in any way) nor would oil production contribute at all to our local economy other than to have a potentially huge adverse impact if an accident did occur. Oil exploration, both in terms of the immediate risk of an oil spill but also in terms of the contribution to climate change, endangers fishing – customary, commercial or recreational. Oil exploration therefore risks our economy but also people's well being. For generations people have lived off the abundance of the sea, for Tangata Whenua this is especially important as the sea is their food basket. We ask that Gisborne District Council advocate for the people and communities they serve by making a public statement of opposition to Deep Sea Oil exploration and that they express their opposition generally and on any occasion that they are consulted on this topic. We need to take real climate action now and say NO to deep water drilling.

We ask that Hawke's Bay Regional Council advocate for both current and future generations by adopting a public position of opposition to oil prospecting and drilling and that they express this and on any occasion that they are consulted on this topic. Oil companies have been offered the opportunity by the New Zealand government to prospect for oil close to Hawke's Bay. Consultations about oil permit areas are held with Iwi, Hapu and Local Authorities (such as the Hawke's Bay Regional Council), who have the opportunity to put in a submission to New Zealand Petroleum and Minerals before Friday November 18th. There are many concerns about Deep Sea Oil prospecting and drilling including: The seismic surveying used to identify resources in the sea bed is known to be harmful, even fatal, to marine life and to mammals such as whales and dolphins in particular. If oil is found and drilling starts there will be significant risks to our harbours and coastline. The wells would be significantly deeper than the one in the Gulf of Mexico, which took months to close off when there was an oil spill, and devastated the ecology and the economy of the coastal area. We must not let this happen here. The Rena disaster demonstrated how unprepared New Zealand is for a major oil spill. Peak Oil is already here so we have to switch to different ways of living anyway. It is prudent to use the resources which are available now to move towards alternatives. The effects of Climate Change are already being experienced and it is now fully accepted that we have to change our oil dependent lifestyles. To have a moderate chance of keeping temperature increase below 2 degrees centigrade, the allowable global carbon budget for the rest of this century is 400-850 gigatonnes (Gt = 1 billion tonnes.) Coal, oil and gas mines currently operating or under construction will emit 940 Gt over their lifespan. This exceeds the carbon budget. Clearly more mines are not compatible with climate safety.The International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) warned of ' irreversible and dangerous' changes to the climate if the use of fossil fuels continues. Climate scientists have indicated that we must act now to avoid catastrophic climate change. It is unjustifiable to risk environmental and ecosystem damage to search for a fuel that cannot be safely used without jeopardising the future. As governments legislate to limit greenhouse gas emissions, mining companies will demand compensation for their ‘stranded assets’. This will burden the taxpayer. We need no new oil infrastructure to create stranded assets. Oil production is not economically sustainable (extraction of a finite resource the use of which contributes to climate change could never be sustainable in any way) nor would oil production contribute at all to our local economy other than to have a potentially huge adverse impact if an accident did occur. Oil exploration, both in terms of the immediate risk of an oil spill but also in terms of the contribution to climate change, endangers fishing – customary, commercial or recreational, In fact the number of jobs created by oil exploration is relatively small. Many more jobs are created by investment in alternative energy infrastructure. The idea that Taranaki is an area made rich by the oil industry is simply not true. Taranaki people’s annual average income is lower than the national average. Most of the wealth in Taranaki is held in the urban areas, and people living nearest to the well sites (such as Kaponga, Eltham, Patea, Stratford East and Waitara East), are in fact the most deprived, which is reflected in their low socio-economic levels and high school decile ratings.’ The 620 people who are directly employed by the oil industry, and the 1,160 people who work in support services are subjected to the boom-and-bust nature of the industries price cycles. Even New Plymouth MP Jonathan Young has said that the region needs to explore other options, such as horticulture and tourism.Oil exploration therefore risks our economy but also people's well being. For generations people have lived off the abundance of the sea, for Tangata Whenua this is especially important as the sea is their food basket. We ask that Hawke's Bay Regional Council advocate for the people and communities they serve by making a public statement of opposition to Deep Sea Oil exploration and that they express their opposition generally and on any occasion that they are consulted on this topic. We need to take real climate action now and say NO to deep water drilling. We ask our councillors to represent our voices. References: [1]http://www.nzpam.govt.nz/cms/about-nzpam/news/publications/petroleum-and-minerals-report-2013.pdf (2)www.mbie.govt.nz/info-services/business/business-growth-agenda/regions/documents-image-library/rear-2014/Regional%20Economic%20Activity%20Report%202014%20Part%202.pdf) (3) http://www.stuff.co.nz/taranaki-daily-news/news/64958753/Barrels-of-woe-for-Taranaki-oil-industry (4) http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/274583/drop-in-mining-royalties (5)Nearly one in four Taranaki kids doing it tough" - 18 July 2015 (6) Taranaki unemployment rates grow to 7.3%" - 6 August 2015

We ask that Waikato District Council advocate for both current and future generations by adopting a public position of opposition to oil prospecting and drilling and that they express this and on any occasion that they are consulted on this topic. Oil companies have been offered the opportunity by the New Zealand government to prospect for oil close to Auckland. Consultations about oil permit areas are held with Iwi, Hapu and Local Authorities (such as the Waikato District Council ), who have the opportunity to put in a submission to New Zealand Petroleum and Minerals before Friday November 18th. There are many concerns about Deep Sea Oil prospecting and drilling including: The seismic surveying used to identify resources in the sea bed is known to be harmful, even fatal, to marine life and to mammals such as whales and dolphins in particular. If oil is found and drilling starts there will be significant risks to our harbours and coastline. The wells would be significantly deeper than the one in the Gulf of Mexico, which took months to close off when there was an oil spill, and devastated the ecology and the economy of the coastal area. We must not let this happen here. The Rena disaster demonstrated how unprepared New Zealand is for a major oil spill. Peak Oil is already here so we have to switch to different ways of living anyway. It is prudent to use the resources which are available now to move towards alternatives. The effects of Climate Change are already being experienced and it is now fully accepted that we have to change our oil dependent lifestyles. To have a moderate chance of keeping temperature increase below 2 degrees centigrade, the allowable global carbon budget for the rest of this century is 400-850 gigatonnes (Gt = 1 billion tonnes.) Coal, oil and gas mines currently operating or under construction will emit 940 Gt over their lifespan. This exceeds the carbon budget. Clearly more mines are not compatible with climate safety.The International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) warned of ' irreversible and dangerous' changes to the climate if the use of fossil fuels continues. Climate scientists have indicated that we must act now to avoid catastrophic climate change. It is unjustifiable to risk environmental and ecosystem damage to search for a fuel that cannot be safely used without jeopardising the future. As governments legislate to limit greenhouse gas emissions, mining companies will demand compensation for their ‘stranded assets’. This will burden the taxpayer. We need no new oil infrastructure to create stranded assets. Oil production is not economically sustainable (extraction of a finite resource the use of which contributes to climate change could never be sustainable in any way) nor would oil production contribute at all to our local economy other than to have a potentially huge adverse impact if an accident did occur. Oil exploration, both in terms of the immediate risk of an oil spill but also in terms of the contribution to climate change, endangers fishing – customary, commercial or recreational, In fact the number of jobs created by oil exploration is relatively small. Many more jobs are created by investment in alternative energy infrastructure. The idea that Taranaki is an area made rich by the oil industry is simply not true. Taranaki people’s annual average income is lower than the national average. Most of the wealth in Taranaki is held in the urban areas, and people living nearest to the well sites (such as Kaponga, Eltham, Patea, Stratford East and Waitara East), are in fact the most deprived, which is reflected in their low socio-economic levels and high school decile ratings.’ The 620 people who are directly employed by the oil industry, and the 1,160 people who work in support services are subjected to the boom-and-bust nature of the industries price cycles. Even New Plymouth MP Jonathan Young has said that the region needs to explore other options, such as horticulture and tourism.Oil exploration therefore risks our economy but also people's well being. For generations people have lived off the abundance of the sea, for Tangata Whenua this is especially important as the sea is their food basket. We ask that Waikato District Council advocate for the people and communities they serve by making a public statement of opposition to Deep Sea Oil exploration and that they express their opposition generally and on any occasion that they are consulted on this topic. We need to take real climate action now and say NO to deep water drilling. We ask our councillors to represent our voices. References: [1]http://www.nzpam.govt.nz/cms/about-nzpam/news/publications/petroleum-and-minerals-report-2013.pdf (2)www.mbie.govt.nz/info-services/business/business-growth-agenda/regions/documents-image-library/rear-2014/Regional%20Economic%20Activity%20Report%202014%20Part%202.pdf) (3) http://www.stuff.co.nz/taranaki-daily-news/news/64958753/Barrels-of-woe-for-Taranaki-oil-industry (4) http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/274583/drop-in-mining-royalties (5)Nearly one in four Taranaki kids doing it tough" - 18 July 2015 (6) Taranaki unemployment rates grow to 7.3%" - 6 August 2015