EDS has lodged its submission on the Offshore Renewable Energy Bill with the Transport
and Infrastructure Select Committee. The Bill proposes a new framework by which offshore
renewables will be authorised. Submissions close on 6 February.
“The Bill is a step in the right direction,” says EDS Reform Director Greg Severinsen.
“Offshore renewables, including offshore wind farms, will be an important piece of the
solution when it comes to decarbonising the electricity sector. They can have less
environmental impact than onshore projects. If these effects are acceptable, they should be
facilitated and encouraged.
“The Bill is necessary and has good features. However, some improvements are needed,
and we detail them in our submission which is available here.
“There’s also a need to think about offshore renewables more strategically. The Bill provides
a process for deciding which competing renewables projects can go ahead but doesn’t deal
with a situation where a different kind of activity (like seabed mining) may want to use the
same space. Renewables may even be put at a disadvantage, because an applicant is not
allowed to apply for RMA consent until a feasibility permit has been granted.
“This creates a window where other kinds of activities could ‘jump the queue’, possibly
deterring investment. Given that suitable locations for offshore wind are largely known and
are limited, there is a need for broader marine spatial planning to determine what kinds of
activities should go where and to manage any conflicts and synergies between them.
“Perhaps the most concerning thing, though, is not the Bill itself, but rather its relationship
with the deeply flawed Fast-track Approvals Act. Here, offshore renewables are put at a
significant disadvantage; they are specifically not allowed to use the fast-track process, but
incompatible activities can.
“This means that significant early investment in large projects like offshore wind could be
made redundant if a different activity swooped in to be referred under the Fast-track
legislation. This is not an academic issue – Trans Tasman Resources’ proposal to mine iron
sands off the South Taranaki coast has been included in the Fast-track Approvals Act,
despite conflicting with well-developed offshore wind proposals which cannot yet apply for
consent. The uncertainty this creates for renewables has been a factor in one developer
already withdrawing from the New Zealand market,” concluded Dr Severinsen.
Greg Severinsen greg@eds.org.nz