Supporters of the oil and gas industry in Dunedin want to send a message to Anadarko and Shell New Zealand.
ProGas Otago has launched an online petition calling on the Dunedin City Council to reconsider its decision to divest itself of Waipori Fund investments in the fossil fuel extraction industry.
The decision, in May, came as councillors voted for an ethical investment policy that also shunned the munitions, tobacco, gambling and pornography industries.
Cr Andrew Whiley, the spokesman for ProGas Otago, yesterday told the Otago Daily Times the group's petition aimed to send a message to oil and gas companies.
''We want to show those companies there's still a lot of support for them in town,'' he said.
''We really want to keep putting our best foot forward and saying `Dunedin is open for business for the gas industry to come'.''
The petition, launched 10 days ago has so far attracted 176 signatures towards an initial goal of 200.
He hoped to reopen debate over the council's earlier decision when the Waipori Fund was next up for debate, as well as at next year's long-term plan budget hearings.
In the meantime, the petition also gave industry supporters a ''voice'', he said.
The council's May decision meant it would divest itself of investments it considered unethical over the next two years, including much of the $1.9 million invested in fossil fuels.
Council staff were preparing a new ''socially responsible investment policy'', which, once finished, would need to be approved by the council.
