Labour bought more oil — Mr Gair

Press, 1 September 1977, Page 7

Labour bought more oil — Mr Gair

PA Wellington, New Zealand was import-1 ing less oil in terms of vol-' ume than it did under the! labour Government, said the: Minister of Energy Resources ’ (Mr Gain. The Minister, speaking dur-; ing the Estimates debate in} Parliament, said that while! the country's bill for imported oil had increased; rapidly to SSSOM this year, about half a million tons less) oil was being bought than in 1973 and 1974. He was replying to criticism of the Government’s! energv policy by Mr P. Blanchfield (lab.. West! Coast) and Mr R. 1.. Bailey (Lab.. Heretaunga). a former! Minister of Electricity. Mr J. G. O'Brien (Lab.,i Island Bay) said, however,: that the Government was! clearly hoping for an oil dis-: covery to save it from eco-i nomic disaster. To this end. it was even, prepared to indulge itself ini ar. onshore oil exploration, programme at the taxpayer s expense. “The Government's policy is simply to thump the public but not Comalco.” he said. Mr O'Brien said that in contrast to oil exploration, little money was being spent in other areas of energv research. such as energy farmmg and solar and tidal energy. Opening the Mines Department Estimates debate. Mr Blanchfield said that Government procrastination and indecision was draining the coalmining industry. Although industry was “screaming out” for coal, and -•“search had shown New Zealand's coal resources would last for 800 years at nresent rates of use, the

. Government was doing nothing to develop new under! i ground mines on the West Coast. Mr Blanchfield said that; ! the Government's approach I meant that coalminers were ; leaving the industry and their i skills were not being replaced — but Mr W. F. Birch (Nat., Franklin) said that I there had been a rapid ; growth in spending, research. |and coal production under the present Government. I The S7SM Mines DepartI ment vote this year was S2SM up on the figure spent last !year, he said. I Mr Birch said that $19.7M I would be devoted to mines (development this year — (almost as much as the last I Labour Government's total (mines vote. j Mr F. M Colman (Lab.. HPetone) said the South (Island was still not playing (the role it could in the pro--1 duction of coal , The Mines Department had Oq nnlirv r>f n.r ren I a cin p re-

a policy oi iioi tepiucnig lei tiring miners in the South j Island, and others were bej ing offered transfers to (mines in the Nonh Island, he I said. | There were also no new i plans for underground mines (other than those in the [Huntly area. “We should be planning Ito bring as much of our I coal reserves into the energy ■ field as possible.” Mr Colman said. Mr Gair said the mining industry must ensure that technology was improved to enable 70 per cent of coal resources in mined areas to I be recovered. I It would be unsatisfactory if only 30 per cent of the coal in deeper seams was re'covered, he said.

More expertise was also (needed in the operation of i large mechanised mines, and I the expertise gained from (the Huntly East and West! ; mines would be put to good (use in the future. A larger skilled work-force was also necessary. Mr Gair said the Huntly West Mine was expected to produce 100,000 tonnes of coal next year. This was estimated to rise to 250,000 tonnes in 1979, and to one million tonnes a year by 1986. The Huntly East Mine was (expected to provide 50.000 Tonnes next year, 100,000 Tonnes in 1979, and reach a (peak of 500,000 tonnes a I year by 1982. i Mr E. E. isbey (Lab., Grey I Lynn) said that although a (large skilled work-force was ; needed in mining, the numiber of miners was being alllowed to decline. I “Why is this being (allowed to happen?” he (said.