Six months ago I would have ridiculed the Greens for their concerns about offshore oil drilling in New Zealand, and the potential damage to our marine environment. But that was before the scandalous events in the Gulf of Mexico over the past weeks.

On Monday I was in Taranaki, and took the opportunity to visit an onshore drilling rig working in the Taranaki backblocks. As I expected, many of the senior guys were very well informed as to the story behind the dreadful blowout in the Gulf which is spewing what informed observers believe is 15,000 barrels (300,000 litres) of crude oil into the Gulf waters every day – three times what BP initially claimed.  In short, it seems there were a series of at least seven major c***ups – all of them either deliberate decisions made in an attempt to save money, or just simple incompetence – which contributed to the disaster.

This has occurred in the Gulf before. In the mid 1970′s a well in the Mexican sector blew out, and took nine months to bring under control. It was finally controlled by drilling a relief well, which is what BP is now doing with all possible speed. The problem is that “all possible speed” in water that deep in the Gulf of Mexico, in hurricane season, means it may be August before the well is controlled.

I have worked offshore Louisiana. While compared to our pristine paradise it isn’t particularly beautiful, there is an abundance of sea life there. I believe Louisiana is the prime seafood producing state in the USA. Even if the well is capped tomorrow, the damage to the marine environment – let alone that on land – will be huge, and will take many years to recover from.

I was pleased to hear Gerry Brownlee treating the Greens’ questions about precautions to be taken offshore NZ very seriously.  It would be an absolute catastrophe if such an incident should occur here. The Great South Basin off Invercargill is one of several areas of the world in which oil is known to exist in quantities which will be commercial when the price rises to a sufficient level.  It is also a “frontier” area in that the water depth and sea conditions are such that it will require the cutting edge of technology if wells are to be drilled safely there.

A major concern is the level of fines under the RMA. Maximum fines for marine pollution are now derisory compared with the costs of oil exploration: $600,000 per offence, plus $10,000 per day for an ongoing offence. The cost of operating an offshore drilling rig is now about USD1.5 million per day. This means that fines at the present level are no more than a contingent operating expense. It is clear that fines must be of a sufficient level to deter potential polluters, and make them “pay through the nose” if serious oil pollution should occur.

Fines of course are”after the fact”. Far better to ensure that only the very best technology and the best people are employed to explore for oil off our coast. This issue may well be the one upon which we and the Greens are on the same side.