Closing New Zealand’s only oil refinery – an act of national suicide
With everything that is going on I have overlooked a protest at Marsden Point oil refinery, New Zealand’s only, that is being closed at a time when the future of our energy security has never looked so grim.
The government has been warned that closing down the country’s only oil refinery could expose New Zealand to fuel security risks.
The Energy Minister said these risks are not significant, but a consultant’s report to the government says the opposite.
The risks centre on reconfigured supply chain, meaning the country would hold significantly less fuel because it held no crude awaiting processing.
Officials have sought a review of the risks to a reconfigured supply chain from a pandemic, natural disaster or regional war.
Plans for a $250m shutdown of the country’s only refinery, Marsden Point at Whangārei Heads, to turn it into an import-only terminal instead are already well advanced
You will get more from this interview than anything you read in what goes for New Zealand’s media
https://www.securemarsdenrefinery.nz/news/press-release
The Dig in at Marsden would like to state its intention, the issue it is shining a light on, and to reaffirm its commitment to accuracy. First, the Dig in at Marsden seeks to prevent further sabotage of Marsden Point’s oil refining capabilities through a variety of tactics. Through these tactics, it will shine a light on an issue that is being covered up by management’s marketing spin. This includes activist tactics, and legal actions. We have evidence that proves they are engaging in blatant financial and maintenance mismanagement. We also call out the clear malfeasance coming from purposefully ignorant politicians.
The issue is quite clear, the sabotage of our only oil refining asset because of greed. Channel Infrastructure has perpetuated a message that former operators do not agree with, “that it is too late to reverse the dismantling of the refinery”. This lines up with information coming out of the refinery. Currently, our state-of-the-art catalyst is being pulled out for a routine regeneration process that costs around 30 million dollars. After this, they intend to sell this asset. It has been reported that this asset along with the CCR (continuous catalytic reformer) will be sold to China for around 200 million. This means we will be selling our refining capabilities to China. That way, we can send our crude away only to be sold back to us at a higher price! Smart, eh?… It’s economic subversion that lines up with the way the Corporate State has operated since the Neoliberal revolution of the 80s.
We’re moving away from making things, to being dependent on countries that make things. As the old saying goes; “if we don’t make things, we can’t have things because of the exponential rise in inflation”. What makes this worse, is that Channel Infrastructure has not even met its obligations to the storage capacity needed for dirty fuel made by China. You might have noticed the chain of tankers backed up in the bay, because they’re struggling to unload their dirty fuel that does not meet our standards.
The Dig in at Marsden has dealt with many challenges since we started our habitation on the tenth of April. We have overcome all of them, our organisation is evolving towards a level of positivity that will overcome the naysayers and those trapped in a state of inaction. We know that if we want to stop the clever theft of infrastructure we paid for, then we’re going to have to do more “do-ey than hui”.
This is not about any one individual; this is about securing the refinery for all of us, defining the term regenerative, and developing our ability to be self-sustainable. If you want to learn the truth of our kaupapa come on up to the Dig in at Marsden. We can offer you a place to stay or visit, with basic needs covered by our collective effort in supporting each other to formulate a constructive environment. This naturally provides a platform for sharing knowledge, culture, and the truth that we are all having to learn, face and integrate.
You can be a part of the team, one that works towards a meaningful goal. The protection of our Nation’s energy independence and the reinforcement of our National Security. This will empower our people to move mountains Corporate States create, these entities cannot ensure the protection of our Nation’s security, assets, self-determination, and independence.
Nga Mihi
