Oil and gas exploration ban repeal

The story so far

Parliament has repealed the 2018 ban on offshore oil and gas exploration, passing the final reading 68 votes to 54. Climate Minister Simon Watts said the previous ban had affected energy security and power prices.^{31 Jul 2025; 1 Aug 2025} The bill passed on Thursday night.^{1 Aug 2025}

Latest

Coalition parties are calling for political consensus to support the oil and gas industry. Labour, the Greens and Te Pāti Māori have pledged to restore the ban.^{1 Aug 2025}

Key moments

1. 30 Jul 2025Government plans to repeal the ban, with a late amendment giving two ministers power over decommissioning costs.
2. 31 Jul 2025Bill delayed from Tuesday night over a last-minute amendment on decommissioning clean-up liability.
3. 31 Jul 2025Final reading passes 68 votes to 54, repealing the 2018 exploration ban.
4. 1 Aug 2025Labour, the Greens and Te Pāti Māori pledge to restore the offshore ban.

Written from the stories below; each sentence links to its sources.