Sarah Roberts, of Taranaki Energy Watch, has been fighting for years to have buffer zones around oil and gas sites. After a four-year fight an energy sector watchdog has won a precedent-setting battle which could see safety buffer zones imposed around hundreds of oil and gas wells and dozens of petrochemical installations in Taranaki. The New Plymouth District Council and Stratford District Council are also parties to the decision. South Taranaki District Council group manager of environmental services, Liam Dagg, said the decision struck a balance between managing risk and recognising property rights. It's now a non-complying activity to establish new homes within the Unacceptable Risk area or 250m from existing wells or 650m from an existing production station.

Source: Stuff October 14, 2020 22:56 UTC