Simeon Brown LNG facility documents, Digi Mart USA News (New Zealand): A climate advocacy group is accusing Energy Minister Simeon Brown of sitting on documents about the government’s LNG facility plans until after the election.
Brown’s office said the material would be published “in due course” but contained commercially sensitive information that needed to be carefully considered before release.
Lawyers for Climate Action (LCA) asked for documents related to a Cabinet committee meeting held just before Parliament rose for the sitting term, where a decision was made not to sign any contract for the facility during the election campaign. The government has since selected a preferred provider, with no contract signed but negotiations continuing.
LCA acting executive director Laura MacKay said the group asked for its request to be treated with urgency, so the information could be released before the election. A response was due on October 29, but Ministry for Business, Innovation and Employment officials declined it on the basis that the information would soon be released proactively.
The Ombudsman confirmed to LCA that officials had sent reviewed and marked-up documents to Brown’s office two weeks ago, on October 23, along with a briefing on what they proposed to release. “He appears to have just been sitting on it since then,” MacKay said.
“We don’t have any date for the proactive release of that information and it appears increasingly likely it will be after the election,” she said.
In response to RNZ, a spokesperson for Brown said the material included commercially sensitive information. “It needs careful consideration before release.
This process is underway ahead of publication in due course,” the spokesperson said.
The government has said the facility, which will be built and operated by a third-party provider at a cost of at least $1 billion to the government, is the only way to provide for “firm” power generation cover during a dry winter. Multiple groups, including some of the gentailers, have pushed back against that argument, saying alternatives such as distributed renewables like rooftop solar, or even stockpiling more coal at Huntly, have not been properly considered.
The project also faces local opposition in Taranaki, where the government’s short-listed provider has proposed locating the facility.
Voters deserved transparency about the business and safety cases, and why the Cabinet committee had ultimately decided to hold off on signing a contract ahead of the election, MacKay said.
“This is a matter of extreme public interest. It’s got significant safety concerns, it’s an enormous amount of money being spent on a project that, in our view and the view of many others, is probably not necessary,” she said.
“In light of that, and in light of the upcoming election, this should be prioritised [for release].”
