New Zealand has just one inspector to oversee safety in its oil exploration industry, echoing concerns raised about policing the coal mining industry after the Pike River disaster.

The single Department of Labour oil well inspector must monitor health and safety on at least seven installations to guard against accidents such as the blowout that killed 11 workers on a rig in the Gulf of Mexico.

A Government-ordered review released last week found the inspectorate is significantly under-resourced.

Of other countries studied, Australia has one inspector for every three installations, Britain one for every two and Norway one per installation.

The New Zealand inspector is also responsible for onshore petroleum and geothermal activities. (Read on …)

Christchurch waste company, BJ Dakin and Company Ltd, has been fined $36,500 after pleading guilty to four charges of unauthorised burial of contaminated material and the discharge of contaminants to land that may have entered water. The company’s director, Brian James Dakin, was also convicted on the four charges but was discharged. The sentencing hearing was before Judge Borthwick, sitting in the Christchurch District Court on December 6, 2010. (Read on …)

Queensland is set to introduce a raft of new penalties under the Environmental Protection Act 1994 (EP Act), which include providing courts with the power to issue ‘name and shame’ and ‘education’ orders for breaches of the legislation.

On 24 November 2010, the Honourable Kate Jones, Minister for Climate Change and Sustainability introduced the proposed amendments and in her ministerial statement announced that:

‘Courts will now have more contemporary and flexibility penalty options for cracking down on companies that do the wrong thing’.

In addition to the proposed new penalties, amendments to the EP Act were recently passed that will increase the powers of inspectors and the duties of disclosure.

These amendments will have wide reaching impacts on both Queensland government and private entities who may find themselves under investigation for environmental issues. (Read on …)