Oil and gas companies are welcoming a decision to increase staffing levels at Crown Minerals, a mining supervisory agency.
Energy Minister Gerry Brownlee has told a petroleum conference in Auckland that staffing at Crown Minerals will be increased from 44 to about 70.
Consultants advise that Crown Minerals has too few employees to do its job properly.
Several companies, including L & M Energy and New Zealand Oil & Gas, say they are pleased with the increase because it would lead to applications being processed faster and broaden the range of expertise at Crown Minerals.
However, Gary Taylor of the Envirionmental Defence Society says personnel levels should also be raised at the Environmental Protection Agency if they are boosted at Crown Minerals.
And Quentin Duthie of the Royal Forest & Bird Protection Society of New Zealand told Morning Report that the country needs to first protect the environment.
He said the Government has its priorities the wrong way around.
