In preparing this bill, I also became aware of the need to think of the future and the legacy that decommissioned petroleum fields present for the Crown and for the taxpayer, and the potential need to pick up the tab for any remediation work. Even if a well is plugged and abandoned to the highest standard, there does remain a possibility that problems can arise over time. Materials can degrade, there could well be a leak, or a natural disaster could change the integrity of a plugged or abandoned well. There have fortunately been very few examples of this, but the likelihood of an abandoned well leaking increases with their age, and, as we know, we are entering a phase where that could become a real possibility. If there were to be a problem with an abandoned well in the future, there is no guarantee that the company that drilled it would still even be operating in New Zealand, that they would have a presence in our country. So I propose to change this by requiring permit and licence holders to make a payment, or multiple payments, towards any post-decommissioning work that is required. I intend to consult on the factors that should be considered when setting this amount, and this could include things such as where the well is located and the type of hydrocarbon that it contains.