Hawke's Bay Regional Council says plans are progressing to prevent future oil and gas exploration near the region's water supply.
Photo: 123rf
The council has voted to work towards prohibiting oil and gas exploration activities within productive aquifers, aquifer recharge zones, rivers and lakes.
The regional council's chair, Rex Graham, said his community didn't want or need drilling because of possible dangers to the water supply, but also because of climate warming from the use of fossil fuels.
"The public don't want this, Hawke's Bay we grow things, we're probably the best environment to grow things in the world, we certainly have the highest production of pipfruit in the world, we have the best variety in the world, our kaupapa is growing things and not growing for oil - we don't want to confuse what we do here."
He said in the long-term he would like to see a total ban, and not just one near waterways.
