Photo: Screenshot
A Dunedin man has made his submission against the Crown Minerals Amendment Bill while wading through flood-waters in the city and playing Kora's "Politician" over a loud speaker.
Benjamin Nevell was speaking to the Economic Development, Science and Innovation Committee, hearing submissions on the bill which will reverse the oil and gas exploration ban.
Follow RNZ's live Dunedin flooding updates here.
Nevell stands in a suburban street flooded with water wearing headphones and reads his submission over Zoom.
Cars parked on the road have water up to their tyres, and frontyards are flooded with water nearly up to letterboxes.
"As politicians, I ask you to consider why is short-term economic benefit of further oil and gas exploration more important than long-term protection from ecological and societal collapse?"
"Who are you benefiting in the political choices you are making?" he asked, "not me and my neighbours here in Dunedin where we are currently experiencing flood caused by the continued problems of climate change".
Nevell called for a transition away from greenhouse gases, "the longer we leave it the worse for everyone".
"The positive economic impact of oil and gas exploration quickly evaporates when the economy and peoples lives are destroyed by these ever more frequent events such as that we are experiencing right now in Dunedin."
Nevell continues to walk down the street as he speaks, quoting the recent Supreme Court decision in Smith v Fonterra.
That Supreme Court case saw Mike Smith granted the right to sue big polluters for their role in causing climate change.
Smith argued the big companies, such as Fonterra, Z Energy and Genesis Energy, had a legal duty to those affected by climate change, and he called for them to either stop polluting or bring emissions down quickly.
"The evidence, they say, is unequivocal, that humans have warmed the atmostphere, ocean and land principally through the emissions of greenhouse gases."
"The window of opportunity to ensure a livable and sustainale future for all is rapidly closing."
Nevell's final comments appeal directly to politicians, drawing attention to what is happening in his backyard.
"I would like to ask the politicians in New Zealand to listen to what the Supreme Court justices have said, listen to what the scientists say, and really reconsider who they are acting for, and what kind of leadership they are showing in continuing with an Act that ignores the impacts that are occuring to me, and my community, and my friends, here, right now in Dunedin."
In closing, Nevell signals behind the camera and the song Politician by Kora begins to play loudly. Nevell stands in front of the camera with his arms raised to the sky.
"The window of opportunity to ensure a livable and sustainable future for all is rapidly closing."
The chairperson of the committee, ACT's Parmjeet Parmar, attempts to thank him and signal his submission time has come to an end but the music continues to play.
Nevell is then seen running through the floodwaters holding his submission papers, before he returns to the screen and thanks the committee.
