PCE submission on Offshore Renewable Energy Bill

The Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment has made a submission to the Transport and Infrastructure Committee on the proposed Offshore Renewable Energy Bill.

The Commissioner supports a regulatory regime for offshore renewable energy generation, with appropriate low barriers to entry, as it will help New Zealand’s transition to a low-emissions future.

Key Points

• Providing a regulatory regime, with appropriately low barriers to entry, for offshore renewable energy generation will help New Zealand transition to the low-emissions future needed to mitigate climate change.

• This Bill is clear, simple, and should, with some suggested modifications, be effective in enabling the development of offshore renewable energy generation. I recommend that the Committee recommend it for enactment, with modifications.

Improvements can be made to the Bill around:

1. providing clarity on how activities incompatible with offshore renewable energy generation will be managed;

2. simplifying the reporting requirement for significant changes in ownership;

3. specifying additional ministerial considerations when determining decommissioning obligations;

4. adding specific requirements to comply with environmental legislation;

5. broadening reference to Te Tiriti o Waitangi;

6. improving information requirements for feasibility and commercial permits and the Minister’s consideration of submissions.