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It’s a great pleasure to be speaking at this very important event for the New Zealand oil and gas industry.

As I said in my opening address last night, it’s wonderful to see so many people here, particularly our international guests. Welcome.

Already today, our Prime Minister and other key speakers have spoken much about ‘opportunity’.

In oil and gas terms, New Zealand truly is a land of opportunity.

The demand for – and exploration of – oil and gas has never been greater.

Energy and Resources Minister Simon Bridges today announced details of the Government’s second round to attract competing bids for oil and gas exploration permits.

Speaking at the Advantage NZ: 2013 Petroleum Conference, Mr Bridges said Block Offer 2013 is an important step towards realising the potential of New Zealand’s oil and gas resources.

“Block Offer 2013 presents a range of promising opportunities for investors and operators, who bring with them knowledge and experience in global exploration and production of oil and gas.

Workers’ Memorial Day tomorrow is a time to remember not only those who’ve been killed or injured at work, but their friends and families too,” says Labour Minister Simon Bridges.

“The trauma of a workplace death never leaves those who are closest – family, friends and work colleagues. In some cases, these people can spend months, maybe years, caring for a loved one undergoing rehabilitation.

Resolving employment disputes more quickly is one of the improvements proposed in the Employment Relations Amendment Bill introduced to Parliament today.

Labour Minister Simon Bridges says the Bill is aimed at improving fairness and flexibility in workplace relations.

“While most of the proposed changes have already been announced, an additional change aimed at speeding up Employment Relations Authority processes is also proposed,” says Mr Bridges.

Labour Minister Simon Bridges is calling for nominations to an establishment board to oversee the formation of a new workplace health and safety agency announced by the Government in February.

The new agency, in the form of a Crown agent, is a key recommendation of the Royal Commission on the Pike River Coal Mine Tragedy.

“The Crown agent will enforce workplace health and safety regulations and work with employers and employees to promote and embed good health and safety practices,” says Mr Bridges.

Economic Development Minister Steven Joyce and Labour and Energy and Resources Minister Simon Bridges today released an update on the Pike River Implementation Plan.

The plan lays out the actions the Government is taking to implement the recommendations of the Royal Commission of Inquiry on the Pike River Coal Mine Tragedy.

“The Government has made a commitment to the families of the victims of Pike River to ensure we follow through on every recommendation of the Royal Commission.

Electricity consumers should be under no illusion that the Labour-Greens power plan will hit them in the pocket, says Energy and Resources Minister Simon Bridges.

“Harking back to the 1970s with a half-baked nationalisation plan will ultimately cost consumers as it returns the country to the days of supply constraints, power blackouts and ultimately higher prices.

“David Parker himself said this in advice to the Cabinet in 2006.

Energy and Resources Minister Simon Bridges says the Labour-Greens power plan is incoherent and will kill competition in the electricity market.

“Under the previous Government, electricity prices increased by 72 per cent. It has taken the National-led Government’s reforms to arrest these ridiculously steep increases on New Zealand households,” says Mr Bridges.

“The 2010 electricity market restructure is working. The market now has more players and much more competition than it ever had under Labour.

It is particularly relevant that I have been asked to speak to you today on ‘The Way Ahead’ because that’s exactly what I want to focus on  – where the Government is heading in occupational health and safety.

Let me be quite clear. Workplace health and safety is a high priority for this Government and in just three months, it’s become a major focus for me as Minister. 

It occupies my mind, in one way or another, every day.

And it’ll continue to, because our work in this area is really stepping up this year.

Energy and Resources Minister Simon Bridges today welcomed the passing of the Crown Minerals (Permitting and Crown Land) Bill into law.

“The changes this Bill introduces promote a safe and sensible regulatory regime for the development of New Zealand’s petroleum and minerals resources,” says Mr Bridges.

“Oil, gas and minerals together contribute over $4 billion to New Zealand’s GDP each year and with responsible development, this contribution could be significantly greater.

Mr Speaker; I move that the Crown Minerals Amendment Bill, Conservation Amendment Bill (No 2), Continental Shelf Amendment Bill, Reserves Amendment Bill, and Wildlife Amendment Bill be now read a third time.

These changes are central to this Government’s work programme to improve the regulatory system for the petroleum and minerals sectors in New Zealand.

The Bills deliver on the objectives of the Crown minerals review to:

The Government is proposing stronger measures to protect offshore petroleum and minerals activity from unlawful interference, Energy and Resources Minister Simon Bridges said today.

Cabinet has approved further changes to the Crown Minerals (Permitting and Crown Land) Bill to firm up protection of lawful offshore petroleum and minerals activity and to give new enforcement powers to police and defence force personnel.

The provisions are in a Supplementary Order Paper (SOP) to be tabled in Parliament.

On behalf of the New Zealand Government, I welcome our international guests to Auckland, and to our wonderful country. It is a pleasure to have you here.

The New Zealand Government is pleased to be working with our co-hosts in the European Union, and our Summit sponsors from the World Bank, The Asian Development Bank, and AusAID, to make this important event happen.

It is very timely.

The Pacific Energy Summit is giving communities in the Pacific a platform to work with development partners to achieve their energy goals.

Employers will have a real incentive to give young people a foothold into work with the passage into law of the starting-out wage, says Labour Minister Simon Bridges.

The Minimum Wage (Starting-out Wage) Amendment Bill passed its third and final reading in Parliament today.  The Bill enables the starting-out wage to be an option for employers and employees from 1 May this year.

Thank you for the opportunity to address your annual conference.  It’s great to be here.  Your industry is an exciting one – with its challenges, and opportunities.

To get a sense of this, I am going to start by taking us all back a few years.

In 1993, New Zealand got its first wind power turbine prototype.  Over a few short years, the technology moved into the mainstream and its growth is now consistently in double digits.

Not bad in just 20 years.

Labour Minister Simon Bridges has announced the release of a new safety audit standard for adventure activities in New Zealand.

“This new standard sets a bar for adventure activity operators who are required to pass a safety audit before they can become registered,” says Mr Bridges.

“It sets out the requirements operators must comply with to reduce risks in providing adventure activities. There will always be a level of risk with these types of activities, but commercial operators must take all practicable steps to operate safely.”

The first reflagging of a foreign charter fishing vessel as New Zealand-registered is good news for foreign crews fishing in our waters, and for New Zealand’s international reputation, say Primary Industries Minister Nathan Guy and Labour Minister Simon Bridges.

The Ukrainian fishing vessel FV Mainstream, chartered by Independent Fisheries, was today officially reflagged, bringing it under New Zealand labour, and health and safety laws.

A joint economic development study has highlighted the potential of developing an onshore oil and gas industry and thousands of new jobs on the North Island’s East Coast.

The East Coast Oil and Gas Development Study, released today in Napier by Economic Development Minister Steven Joyce and Energy and Resources Minister Simon Bridges, was commissioned to look at the benefits, impacts and risks of petroleum development.

Good morning and welcome everyone. It’s a pleasure to be here.

As many of you would appreciate, this is my first substantive address as Minister of Energy and Resources.

I’ve been looking forward to this opportunity, as I am quickly coming to the view that this is one of the most exciting and challenging portfolios in Government.

Let me be candid.

I don’t have the same level of expertise that many of you here have.

Labour Minister Simon Bridges today announced the minimum wage is to rise to $13.75.

The current wage rate is $13.50.

The training and new entrants’ minimum wages will increase from $10.80 to $11, which is 80 per cent of the adult minimum wage.

“Setting these wage rates represents a careful balance between protecting low paid workers and ensuring jobs are not lost as the economic recovery gains pace,” says Mr Bridges.

Labour Minister Simon Bridges has welcomed the Transport and Industrial Relations Select Committee’s report on the Minimum Wage (Starting-out Wage) Amendment Bill.

“A starting-out wage is an important initiative to give young people the foothold they need to enter the workforce,” says Mr Bridges.

“It will give employers a real incentive to take on our youngest and most inexperienced workers and provide them with the skills and work experience they need.”

The Government’s focus on significantly lifting New Zealand’s workplace health and safety record is behind the establishment of a new, stand-alone agency, says Labour Minister Simon Bridges.

The creation of a stand-alone Crown agent was a key recommendation of the Royal Commission on the Pike River Coal Mine Tragedy.

“The new agency will have a dedicated focus on health and safety and underlines the Government’s strong commitment to addressing New Zealand’s workplace fatality and serious injury rates,” says Mr Bridges.

Changes to New Zealand’s warrant of fitness system, which will see annual inspections for cars registered after 2000, will save motorists time and money and will also focus on road safety, says Associate Transport Minister Simon Bridges.

The key changes to the warrant of fitness system (WoF) include:

As most children prepare to go back to school next week, Associate Transport Minister Simon Bridges has today announced a significant increase in variable speed limit signs. This is part of a wider rural school safety programme launched today.

"Road safety around rural schools is a major concern in many rural communities, where parents dropping off and picking up their children must also deal with high-speed through traffic,” says Mr Bridges.