13 Dec 2017

Govt inquiry into country's fuel supply

9:10 pm on 13 December 2017

The government plans an inquiry into the security of the country's fuel supply.

Megan Woods at the habour reopening in Kaikoura. 14 November 2017.

Energy Minister Megan Woods said a government inquiry would be able to compel agencies and companies to provide information. Photo: RNZ / Cole Eastham-Farrelly

The pipeline from the Marsden Refinery to Auckland had to be shut down for 10 days in September after a leak was discovered.

Energy Minister Megan Woods said a government inquiry would be able to compel agencies and companies to provide information.

"It means that we can have utter confidence that we can answer any of their questions that we need answered as we go through."

The refinery to Auckland pipeline was a critical piece of infrastructure and it was necessary to get to the bottom of what happened in September, she said.

The terms of reference would be finalised early next year, along with who would lead the inquiry.

Refining NZ chief executive Sjoerd Post said a lot of work had already gone into understanding the cause of the rupture and it looked forward to discussing how to make fuel supply more secure in future.

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