Two defeats for the regime

There's been good news over the weekend, with two significant defeats for the regime's programme of environmental destruction. First, there's the draft decision of the Fast Track Panel to reject Trans-Tasman Resources' plans to mine the Taranaki seabed, on the grounds that there was a credible risk of harm to protected species and uncertain environmental impacts. The panel found that these significantly outweighed any economic benefit. It's only a draft decision, and TTR gets to comment on it, but it seems unlikely they will be able to overturn these findings unless they present significant and credible new evidence. Which means that one of the flagship projects of fast-track - a dirty mining project which has already been rejected by the Supreme Court - is dead. Good riddance.

Secondly, there's the news today that despite the regime bending over for the oil industry and repealing the offshore drilling ban, they're just not coming back, and will instead leave Aotearoa to small, bottom-feeder companies - which in turn may lack the resources to properly explore any permits they are granted, or to meet remaining cleanup obligations. Which means that National's desired levels of drilling seem unlikely to happen. Good riddance to that too.

Both the corrupt, Muldoonist fast-track program and the equally corrupt courting of the oil industry were absolutely central to National's policy programme. And neither seems to be working out the way they want. Which hopefully means they cause only limited damage before the election allows them to be repealed and the "consents" granted under them overturned.