The Associate Energy Minister says reversing natural gas policies will take time. 

Production fell 20 percent in the first quarter - compared on the year before - to 22.85 petajoules. 

Industry spokespeople say available gas is depleting and exploration of new fields is banned.

Shane Jones says the last Government wanted the sector shut down - and faith needs to be restored it has a future. 

"Since 2018 and 2019, when the curtain came down on the industry, people stopped drilling and people lost confidence - that there would be no future for fossil fuel in New Zealand."

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