Examining inclusivity of participation and engagement in Aotearoa New Zealand’s offshore petroleum governance

• Offshore petroleum extraction in Aotearoa New Zealand conflicts with marine conservation and climate goals. • Regulatory frameworks prioritize economic interests, limiting environmental concerns, and early public consultation. • Fragmented ocean governance and unresolved Māori resource rights risk future marine conflicts. • The paper advocates for integrated ocean planning, inclusive engagement, and upholding Māori Treaty rights. Tension between resource extraction and the preservation of marine environments is evident worldwide, as economic priorities increasingly conflict with socio-ecological and cultural conservation values. In 2018, Aotearoa New Zealand (A-NZ) prohibited offshore fossil fuel development, yet a newly elected government in 2023 reversed this decision, providing opportunities for fast-tracking petroleum resource extraction. This, coupled with limited protections in the Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZ) and unresolved Indigenous Māori resource rights, risks intensifying conflicts around petroleum development. This paper examines A-NZ’s offshore petroleum licensing and regulatory processes, and whether initial decisions to release offshore areas for bidding incorporate adequate consultation and align or conflict with marine conservation objectives. Twenty semi-structured interviews were conducted with individuals from the central and regional governments, regulatory agencies, environmental non-governmental organisations (ENGOs), fisheries groups, the offshore mining industry, the community, and iwi representatives (Māori group or tribe). Findings from these interviews reveal a fragmented regulatory structure that prioritises economic development over environmental concerns, public input is excluded from early petroleum permit decisions, and policy discontinuity resulting has obstructed strategies for integrated ocean protection—indicating that limited participation and consultation within offshore petroleum regulations reflect weak democratic decision-making in marine conservation and resource extraction. Four themes arose from this research: (1) the complexity and inadequacy of petroleum regulatory frameworks, (2) the lack of credible consultation, (3) the need for greater marine environmental protection, and (4) conflicting sustainability objectives. To mitigate conflict and ensure intergenerational equity in marine protection and resource extraction, we advocate for comprehensive ocean planning strategies, inclusive public engagement during the permitting process, and upholding Māori resource rights as Treaty partners. Such measures would foster a more equitable framework for balancing ecological and economic priorities.