Ombudsman complaint over withheld LNG safety reports for Port Taranaki
Lawyers for Climate Action has complained to the Ombudsman over MBIE holding back early safety evaluations for the proposed Port Taranaki LNG terminal. The group wants them released before the election, and before any contract is signed.
The complaint
The complaint covers two initial safety evaluations, one from each of the two shortlisted providers. MBIE refused to release them for commercial reasons, according to RNZ. The group said there is little public safety information about the proposal. It is seeking an Ombudsman investigation, through the independent watchdog for government releases, so voters can see the material before they vote.
What the ministry says
MBIE said LNG is safe and the terminal would have to comply with WorkSafe processes and safety standards. A ministry factsheet said LNG was safe, noted many terminals operate in urban areas overseas, and said the plant would be subject to rigorous health and safety standards. The ministry said safety was the bottom line. The plant would not be built if it could not meet safety standards, it said.
Why the site matters
The proposed site is the main breakwater at Port Taranaki, close to homes and recreation areas. Taranaki groups said thousands of people live and attend school within a 2km radius of the site. MBIE and Energy Minister Simeon Brown have pointed to Port Kembla in New South Wales, where a terminal was placed two kilometres from homes for safety. Taranaki groups say that comparison has not eased local concern about proximity.
How the plant would work
MBIE said natural gas and LNG are not toxic, and LNG is non-flammable and non-explosive when held as a super-cold liquid. Both shortlisted providers propose floating storage and regasification units inside Port Taranaki, in effect ships that store the chilled liquid and warm it back into gas for the power system. MBIE said it would not recommend a facility if the ministry or its independent engineering advisers had safety concerns. It has assessed it is unlikely that safety zones around the facility will affect access to Ngāmotu Beach and the Lee Breakwater. It said it will continue to talk with a range of groups about assessing and limiting environmental effects, including the Port and local iwi and hapū.
Cost, timing and next steps
The Government confirmed in June it will proceed with a Taranaki facility. It said LNG imports were the best option to manage dry-year risk, the shortfall when low lake levels cut hydro generation, while more renewable generation is developed. MBIE assessed 11 options and said the import facility could be operational by 2028. It said LNG will help stabilise electricity costs.
No contract has been signed. The law changes needed to have the terminal built by winter 2028 have not been put to Parliament. Leasing the terminal would cost more than $1 billion over 15 years. The Government scrapped an earlier plan to fund it through a levy on all electricity users. The minister said the Government could still sign a contract during the election campaign.
What happened earlier
In August, the Ombudsman said a separate LNG document should not have been withheld. In the same month there were calls for the Auditor-General, Parliament's spending watchdog, to inquire into the terminal plans. In February, Taranaki locals, affordable energy advocates and climate justice organisations condemned the Government's LNG announcement.
The broader context here is timing. Ministers want a dry-year tool contracted and legislated for winter 2028. Officials are running a commercial procurement with two shortlisted bidders while withholding their early safety work. Opponents want that work tested in public before commercial and legislative locks go on. With a contract possible during the campaign, the Ombudsman process sets the disclosure timetable in practice. Whether the evaluations are released, and in what form, will shape how much scrutiny Parliament, councils, iwi and the Taranaki community can apply before the decision is binding.
