A quarterly update that covers relevant information for iwi, hapū and Māori with interests in the energy and resources sector.
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Nau mai, haere mai ki Pānui – Energy and Resource Markets
This is a quarterly update that covers relevant information for iwi, hapū and Māori with interests in the energy and resources sector, and provides opportunities to share your views directly with the Energy and Resource Markets branch.
The Energy and Resource Markets branch is part of the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment.
In this issue:
- Government funded solar projects for Māori Housing
- Energy and Resource Markets Work Programmes
- Resource Management Act on Electricity Generation and Transmission
- New compliance approach and tools
- New Zealand Petroleum and Minerals website
Celebrating Te Āhuru Mōwai’s solar energy project that will power 20 Porirua homes
From left to right: James Te Puni (Te Āhuru Mōwai), Miriama (tenant), Energy and Resources Minister Megan Woods, Eric Pyle (SolarZero), Tā Matiu Rei (Te Āhuru Mōwai), Matt Reid (Te Āhuru Mōwai), Dr Daniel Burmester (Victoria University of Wellington), Brian Vass (Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment).
People in Māori housing to benefit from 16 small-scale Government funded solar projects
Miriama is looking forward to cheaper power bills now that solar panels have been installed for free on her Porirua home.
She is one of the 20 tenants of Ngāti Toa-owned community housing provider, Te Āhuru Mōwai, that will benefit from their solar energy project that received $414,000 in government funding earlier this year.
A further 150 households around the country will directly benefit from the 16 new small solar projects that were announced recently by Energy and Resources Minister Megan Woods and Associate Minister of Housing (Māori Housing) Peeni Henare, to alleviate energy hardship and trial new ways of storing and sharing surplus energy.
“This third round of the Government’s Māori Housing Renewable Energy Fund gives yet more targeted support to households with insecure access to power, or who are experiencing energy hardship,” Minister Woods said.
All 16 projects from this latest funding round use solar power, but many are trialling new ways to distribute the power or share surplus power to support many more households in need.
For some households, having solar panels and energy storage equipment means immediate savings on power bills, less financial stress and in many cases, promotes better health by enabling the use of more energy to heat the home.
For others, access to locally generated electricity also brings greater resilience, more energy independence or can reduce reliance on diesel generators.
This latest funding round is part of the Government’s $28 million fund that is being allocated to renewable energy projects on Māori and public housing.
Māori Housing Renewable Energy Fund
Solar tech boost a cost saver for Māori households | Beehive.govt.nz
Are you interested in helping shape positive outcomes for Māori through policy development?
Energy and Resource Markets Work Programmes
Help achieve the vision of an affordable, secure, and sustainable energy systems that provides for New Zealanders’ wellbeing in a low emissions world.
MBIE’s Energy and Resource Markets (ERM) branch have been working on ways on how we can connect with Iwi/Māori early on kaupapa they are interested in.
- Iwi have told us that they want to be part of policy development at the beginning.
- That they’re keen to explore different ways of working together.
- That they need as much notice as possible to participate.
- And, that they would like options to engage on multiple kaupapa together.
ERM have put together a high-level overview of the different policy kaupapa they are working on and would like to hear from Iwi/Māori on how they would like to work together.
To get in touch with the ERM branch about the work different programmes, please contact them at: ermpaatai@mbie.govt.nz
Resource Management Act: national direction on electricity – feedback opportunity
MBIE and the Ministry for the Environment (MfE) are progressing work on how national direction tools under the Resource Management Act can better enable renewable electricity and transmission to support decarbonisation.
MBIE and MfE are interested to hear how this work could better support Māori development aspirations and participation in the transition to a low-emissions economy, and how the proposals and final policy could be better framed in terms of Te Ao Māori.
Online hui will be held on each day on 27 to 29 September from 1pm to 2pm.
To register to attend one of the hui’s please email: energymarkets@mbie.govt.nz.
New compliance approach and tools – feedback opportunity
Last December, new laws were introduced into the Crown Minerals Act. The new laws introduced some tools that New Zealand Petroleum & Minerals (NZPAM) could use to respond to any non-compliant practices from permit holders and operators.
To make sure that the new compliance tools were widely understood, a survey and an accompanying document outlining the new compliance approach were sent out to multiple Iwi nationwide for feedback.
The new compliance approach outlined when and how the new compliance tools introduced through the Crown Minerals Act would apply and be enforced.
The new compliance tools would be of interest to Iwi whose rohe is located near any minerals and/or petroleum activities.
For any Iwi that were unable to respond to the survey a copy of the compliance document can be requested by emailing: ruth.bowater@mbie.govt.nz
Any requests or feedback needs to be received by Friday 30 September.
Help improve the New Zealand Petroleum and Minerals website – feedback opportunity
New Zealand Petroleum and Minerals (NZPAM) are wanting to find out what improvements they can make to help make it a better resource.
They are currently looking for participants to test their website and offer them feedback.
The test session will take place over a Zoom or Teams video call and will take about 45 minutes. Participants will be compensated for their time.
Please register your interest by emailing: jefferey.schuster@mbie.govt.nz.
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