Released on 15 October 2026
Climate Justice Taranaki and New Plymouth residents are outraged by the discovery that the Government has now selected and is talking to a preferred LNG provider.
On the 1st October, our joint request with ten other organisations to the Auditor-General to conduct an inquiry into the Government’s procurement process for the LNG import facility in Port Taranaki was declined. The letter from the Auditor-General explained that the Ministry for Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) is still reviewing the LNG case and “as the Government is yet to decide the approach it will take and select a provider, we do not propose carrying out inquiry work now.”
“Clearly MBIE has somehow convinced the Auditor-General that it is no where near ready to proceed with the LNG procurement. The Auditor-General is expecting MBIE to do its due diligence on a wide range of matters from comparative analysis with alternatives to economic, operational, environmental and risk assessments, before a decision is made. Yet MBIE has now selected an unnamed preferred company and is talking to them, while keeping the rest of us in the dark.
This just shows how sneaky and unscrupulous the Government can be to do whatever it takes to pursue it’s own agenda, ignoring serious public concerns on safety, financial burden and our kids future in an unlivable climate,” said Catherine Cheung, spokesperson of Climate Justice Taranaki.
New Plymouth resident Patrick Medlicott described this as “typical of lobbying and collusion from oil and gas on the ears of our politicians and civil servants trying to destroy our mokopuna for money.”
Brenda Fawkner whose home overlooks the Port pointed out that, “MBIE have incorrectly compared Port Taranaki with terminals in USA, Korea, Italy, Spain. These are all land-based ports in safe harbours. We the citizens of this city are being deceived, this is disingenuous. With alternative solar, wind and geothermal power rapidly increasing why would we risk the safety of our community.”
“The LNG plan for Port Taranaki is dangerous, expensive and unnecessary. It needs to be stopped. And the Government that enables this must go!” Cheung concluded.
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