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Energy and Resources Minister Phil Heatley has announced three appointments to the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority.

Tom Campbell has been appointed Chair of the Authority. Mr Campbell has had a long-standing interest in improving energy efficiency from roles at Rio Tinto, including as Managing Director (NZ and UK) of Comalco and General Manager of the Tiwai Smelter.

He is Chair of Crown research institute GNS Science and a director of Todd Corporation, PowerNet, Electricity Invercargill and the New Zealand Standards Council.

Housing Minister Phil Heatley and Auckland Mayor Len Brown today announced the appointment of a seven-member Board with a strong mix of community, urban development and business skills to lead the Tāmaki Redevelopment Company.

The Tāmaki Redevelopment Company is New Zealand’s first urban redevelopment company and aims to transform Tāmaki (including Glen Innes, Point England and Panmure) in Auckland over the next 20-25 years through co-ordinated economic, social, and housing initiatives.

Welcome to the Block Offer 2012 Awards Ceremony.

It’s a great pleasure to be hosting this event to award the permits from the Government’s first annual Block Offer. 

In August last year we announced the move to an annual block offer process and the abolition of the Priority in Time permits.

Block Offer 2012 areas have now been consulted on, tendered, carefully considered, and today, permits are being awarded to the strongest bids and to those companies most capable of delivering their proposed work programmes. 

We are very fortunate in New Zealand to have an abundance of energy and minerals resources.

These provide us with unique opportunities to grow our economy, ensure we have a secure supply of affordable energy, and respond to the global challenge of climate change. 

The oil and gas sector is already a major contributor to our economy. It’s our fourth-largest export and directly and indirectly supports around 7,700 jobs.

Investment in oil and gas exploration will receive a significant boost with the award of 10 exploration permits, announced by Energy and Resources Minister Phil Heatley today.

Seven of the 10 Block Offer 2012 permits are in the Taranaki Basin, two in the Pegasus Basin and one in the Great South Basin. The permits are equally divided between onshore and offshore areas.

“Strong interest in the Block Offer 2012 permitting round proves that New Zealand is a key destination for both domestic and international investment in oil and gas exploration.

Housing New Zealand has suspended 75 former tenants from applying for a state house since the introduction of its suspensions policy a year ago, Housing Minister Phil Heatley said today.

The policy, introduced on 30 November 2011, allows Housing New Zealand to suspend former tenants from applying for a state house for one year after their tenancy ends, as a result of serious breaches of their tenancy agreement.

The North Island Grid Upgrade Project will ensure New Zealand can keep up with growing electricity demand by providing a new power link into Auckland, Energy and Resources Minister Phil Heatley said today.

A new overhead transmission line between Whakamaru, north of Taupo, and Auckland, was officially switched on by Prime Minister John Key today, signifying the completion of the $824 million upgrade project.

When the National-led Government came into office it was well known that the country’s housing stock was under par. There was ample and growing evidence that this was impacting on New Zealanders’ health and well-being, not to mention their power bills.  Something had to be done, and we did it.

The Government insulation programme Warm Up New Zealand: Heat Smart has reached its original target of insulating 188,500 homes – ahead of schedule and below budget, Energy and Resources Minister Phil Heatley announced today.

“This successful programme has directly improved the living conditions of many thousands of New Zealanders,” he said.

“Better home insulation has a really significant effect on health and well-being.

“The programme has also supported manufacturing in New Zealand and created jobs.

Energy and Resources Minister Phil Heatley and Environment Minister Amy Adams have welcomed the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment’s interim report on her investigation into hydraulic fracturing (fracking).

The interim report finds that the environmental risks associated with fracking can be effectively managed, providing that the best operational practices are implemented and enforced through regulation.

Cabinet has approved further changes to the Crown Minerals (Permitting and Crown Land) Bill currently before the Commerce Committee, Energy and Resources Minister Phil Heatley says.

A Supplementary Order Paper recommends changes to current legislation to strengthen the Bill in light of the report of the Royal Commission on the Pike River Coal Mine Tragedy.

The Royal Commission’s report endorses the proposals being progressed through the current review of the Crown Minerals Regime and reflected in the Bill being considered by the Commerce Committee.

I’m very pleased to be invited to jointly open this very first six-star Best Home - thank you.

We’re all familiar with the expression “five-star” meaning excellent, top of the line, but you don’t hear “six-star” very often!

This fantastic house, New Zealand’s first under the Best Home trademark, demonstrates that a house earning six stars for its energy efficiency can be built for only about 5 per cent more than the standard cost and certainly not the 20 per cent or so more that people think. 

Hundreds of new houses are to be built at Hobsonville Point as part of the Government’s moves to bring more affordable new housing on to the market, Housing Minister Phil Heatley announced today.

Today we’re unveiling the Government’s business plan for this development, agreed with the Hobsonville Land Company.

In large part this is a continuation of the work that’s been going on here, and there is certainly no change to the vision of a high-quality, diverse urban community for all New Zealanders.

However, since the cessation of the Gateway programme, there have been questions raised about the role of affordable housing at Hobsonville Point.

It hardly needs to be said that it’s a sad comment on our society that a service like Women’s Refuge is needed. 

But needed it is, and what a fantastic job you do. I’m in awe of the level of commitment and the depth of the work you do supporting women and children getting out of terrifying situations, the worst kind of crises. I’m proud that Housing is able to be a part of that.

The corporation worked closely with Te Whari Tiaki Wahine Refuge to find a replacement refuge around the Titahi Bay/Porirua/Whitby areas when it was needed.

Gas consumers are better informed and supply contracts are becoming more customer-friendly, Energy and Resources Minister Phil Heatley said today.

An independent assessment looking at 10 contracts from seven gas suppliers has found a majority of contracts were well aligned with benchmarks in the Gas Industry Company’s Retail Gas Contracts Oversight Scheme. The Gas Industry Company is the gas industry’s co-regulatory body.

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.

Housing Minister Phil Heatley has congratulated Housing New Zealand’s Canterbury tenancy services team on its success at the annual Australasian Housing Institute Awards in Sydney.

The Canterbury team received the Australasian Centre Practice Award for Professional Excellence in Housing and was highly commended for its achievements at a time when team members were themselves affected by the major earthquakes that occurred between September 2010 and December 2011.

Housing New Zealand has met its target of completing repairs to 212 earthquake-damaged houses in Christchurch by the end of October. 

“This is a huge achievement in just six months and I congratulate the corporation. They have done a fantastic job,” Housing Minister Phil Heatley said today.

“Many of these houses were severely damaged. It’s been a great effort by the corporation and its contractors and sub-contractors – the builders, plumbers, painters, gardeners, roofers and electricians.

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.

Housing Minister Phil Heatley says the $34.4 million upgrade to Wellington’s Central Park Apartments is a great example of good quality social housing.            

Mr Heatley and Wellington Mayor Celia Wade-Brown reopened the complex this afternoon.

“This complex is now a modern, attractive place to live,” Mr Heatley said.

“Inside, there is new insulation, double glazing, redecorating, better ventilation and heating. The flats are warm and comfortable.”

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.

Housing Minister Phil Heatley says the Government is already in the process of implementing key components of the Productivity Commission’s advice to address affordable housing, and has plans for more action.