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Energy and Resources Minister Phil Heatley has welcomed the start of the Block Offer 2013 process for awarding oil and gas exploration permits.

The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment today released the proposed areas for onshore and offshore exploration – in Northland, Taranaki, the East Coast, Canterbury and Southland – and has started consultation with relevant iwi and councils.

The Government is calling for public feedback on proposed changes to royalties and the taxation of minerals.

Two papers – Reviewing the Royalties Regime for Minerals and Taxation of Specified Mineral Mining – have now been released for public consultation. The royalties paper sets out proposals related to Government revenue from minerals, not oil and gas. The tax paper also excludes oil and gas from its proposals, as well as coal.

"Minerals are important to New Zealand’s economy," Mr Heatley said.

Believe it or not, there are some bonuses to flying into Wellington’s wind, as I do frequently.  It means that I get a bird’s-eye view of the degree of change Wellington City Council’s social housing has made to the cityscape in certain areas.

There are now large areas of Newtown – with Te Ara Hou, Regent Park and Hanson Court apartments, and here in at Central Park, that have been transformed, and the positive changes show, even from the air.

Good morning everyone, I’m very pleased to have this opportunity to talk to you.

First, I would like to thank the leaders of your three groups for the opportunity to open this year’s gas industry forum:

The Government's review of the October 2011 Maui gas pipeline outage and subsequent work shows that steps needed to strengthen the gas system are being taken, Energy and Resources Minister Phil Heatley said today.

Speaking at the Gas New Zealand Forum in Rotorua, Mr Heatley said that the  Maui pipeline event was a reminder of the importance of gas to the New Zealand economy.

"It was critical that the lessons learned from the outage were captured and acted on, so that gas consumers can be confident in our gas system," he said.

It’s great to see Housing New Zealand here in the inner city. Congratulations to everyone for making it happen.  There are signs of progress all around us here and that's very encouraging.

But today I’d like to talk more about the people who live here – in Christchurch and further afield, and what Housing New Zealand is doing to revitalise and rebuild houses in Canterbury.

Many thanks for inviting me to join you in marking this important milestone for Windflow Technology.

It is great to be here and it’s great to see an innovative New Zealand company take off  into the global energy market with the first wind turbine to be exported from New Zealand. 

Renewable energy is going to play an increasing role in our energy future. Our target is for 90 per cent of electricity to be generated from renewable sources by 2025. In 2011, 77 per cent of New Zealand’s electricity was renewable - beyond that of most countries.

Good morning and thank you for inviting me to your conference.  It’s a great pleasure to be able to speak to you and to tell you about the Government’s housing policy and legislative programme. 

I like the theme of “Spring into Action” you’ve chosen for this conference.  It’s a theme this Government thoroughly endorses and the busy policy and legislative programme we have shows that we are putting in place lasting reforms that will build a more productive and competitive economy.

Minister of Energy and Resources Phil Heatley has congratulated Gisborne region homeowners, charitable trusts, and insulation installers on achieving the greatest regional uptake of the Government’s Warm Up New Zealand: Heat Smart insulation programme.

“In the Gisborne region, over 25 per cent of all homes have used the insulation subsidy to install ceiling or underfloor insulation. This is the highest regional proportion of homes in the country,” Mr Heatley said at a function in Gisborne this morning.

E Nga Waka                          [Distinguished representatives]

E nga Mana                           [Esteemed guests]

A new tool to assist small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to cut their power costs by switching electricity providers is a welcome initiative, Energy and Resources Minister Phil Heatley says.

The new tool, announced yesterday, has been developed by the Electricity Authority in partnership with Switchme, and follows the successful “What’s My Number” campaign for the residential market.

A joint economic development study has been commissioned to look at the potential for and benefits of developing an oil and gas industry on the North Island’s East Coast.

The study is a joint initiative between the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment and regional economic development agency Business Hawke’s Bay, on behalf of eight East Coast councils.

Changes to gas and electrical certification regimes mean safer outcomes for consumers, Energy and Resources Minister Phil Heatley and Building and Construction Minister Maurice Williamson said today.

The changes mean all gas and electrical installation work will now require certification.

The amended regulations will be published in the New Zealand Gazette today and are the result of a review of the regimes to ensure they provide cost-effective public safety outcomes.

A new Bill to strengthen management of Crown-owned minerals passed its first reading in Parliament today.

The Crown Minerals (Permitting and Crown Land) Bill is a key element in the Government’s commitment to promote responsible exploration and production of oil, gas and mineral resources.

“Oil, gas and minerals together contribute over $4 billion to New Zealand’s GDP each year. Crude oil is New Zealand’s fourth largest commodity export earner,” Energy and Resources Minister Phil Heatley said.

Mr Speaker, I move that the Crown Minerals (Permitting and Crown Land) Bill be now read a first time. I nominate the Commerce Committee to consider the Bill.

At the appropriate time I intend to move that the Bill be reported to the House by 30 January 2013.

This Government’s Business Growth Agenda is an ambitious programme of work that will support New Zealand businesses to grow in order to create jobs and improve New Zealanders’ standard of living.

First, I’d like to acknowledge the importance of road transport to our economy.

Our size, and the significant distances between our towns, cities and ports, mean the roading network is vital for us all.

From roofing iron and aggregate to ice-cream and i-phones, heavy vehicles (or trucks as most of us call them!), play a part in moving nearly everything we need.

The cost of freight is built into the retail price of goods, so the amount of fuel used by the heavy vehicle fleet affects everyone.

Truckies and fleet operators could each save tens of thousands of dollars every year under a new Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority (EECA) programme launched by Energy and Resources Minister Phil Heatley at Parliament today.

“Trucks transport door-to-door almost everything that is used or consumed in this country. The cost of freight makes up part of the retail price of most goods and services, so a more efficient transport fleet benefits the wider economy,” Mr Heatley said.

Energy and Resources Minister Phil Heatley has welcomed a new report on the economic benefits of future oil and gas discoveries released by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) today.

“The report responds to the question ‘What if we could develop a second Taranaki in New Zealand?’

I’m very pleased to be here tonight to recognise this important milestone and to join my colleague Hon Jo Goodhew in congratulating ESITO on the success of the ‘Women in Power’ initiative so far, and now the launch of phase two, Ultimit.

The future of the electricity sector is an exciting one.  ESITO’s role is crucial to ensuring that the sector has the skilled workers it needs to support business growth, not to mention keep powering New Zealand homes and enable our increasingly digital lifestyles.

The 2012 Deloitte Energy Excellence Awards presented in Auckland last night were welcome recognition of excellence and achievement across the electricity, oil, gas and petroleum industries in New Zealand, Energy and Resources Minister Phil Heatley says.

“The New Zealand energy sector is an essential part of the country’s infrastructure and makes a significant contribution to the economy.

“A thriving and high-achieving energy sector is essential to a growing economy and to improve the standard of living of New Zealanders.

I’m delighted to be part of these awards tonight, to celebrate the achievements of a sector that has contributed so much over so long to New Zealand, and that will be a cornerstone of New Zealand’s economic growth.

And it’s great to see the industry stepping forward and celebrating its successes with a bit of glamour and finesse!  Well done.

These awards are a great opportunity to showcase your achievements to, and for, New Zealand, and to recognise your contributions.

Meridian Energy’s Mill Creek wind farm near Wellington is a welcome boost to the local economy and will be a significant contributor to future renewable energy, Energy and Resources Minister Phil Heatley says.

The Minister took part in a sod-turning ceremony and iwi blessing marking the start of construction of the new 26-turbine wind farm in Ohariu Valley, north-west of Wellington, this morning.

“This project will have significant and wide-ranging benefits to the Wellington region,” he said.

Conservation Minister Kate Wilkinson and Energy and Resources Minister Phil Heatley today launched the new Code of Conduct for Minimising Acoustic Disturbance to Marine Mammals from Seismic Survey Operations.

The new code is a set of operational requirements that aim to protect marine mammals from potential impacts of seismic survey work used in oil and gas exploration, seabed minerals prospecting and scientific research.

The launch of the Code of Conduct for Minimising Acoustic Disturbance to Marine Mammals is another of the many steps this Government is taking to ensure that we make the most of our promising petroleum potential in a manner that is well managed and consistent with the wider values we hold as a nation, and to the highest international standards.