The Government will remove the 2018 ban on petroleum exploration beyond onshore Taranaki. 

The decision's being labelled a 'backwards step' by environmentalist groups. 

Energy Resources Aotearoa Chief Executive, John Carnegie, told Mike Hosking “In New Zealand, the ironic thing is coal has been a balancing energy fuel.” 

Carnegie said “There’s plenty of gas here, it’s just a matter of getting more explorers down here and having more wells drilled to find it.” 

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