The Green Party is looking to drum up support against Anadarko's deep sea oil exploration with a visually public display in Mount Maunganui.

Between 12.30 and 3pm tomorrow, Green Party representatives will be at Mount Maunganui Surf Life Saving Club launching their "Anadarko - wish you weren't here" nationwide campaign.

Green Party energy spokesperson Gareth Hughes will be attending where a display featuring Auckland artist Ross Liew's re-appropriation of the iconic 'Aotearoa - wish you were here' postcard to 'Anadarko - wish you weren't here".

Gareth says nationwide events are part of the Green Party's campaign to protect New Zealand's beaches from Anadarko's 'risky” deep sea oil drilling.

"We are launching the campaign to give New Zealanders the opportunity to tell Anadarko that we 'wish they weren't here' risking our beaches," says Gareth.

"The iconic beaches that Kiwis are spending their summer enjoying are now under threat from an oil spill from risky deep sea oil drilling."

Anadarko's drilling ship the Noble Bob Douglas is currently drilling an exploration well off the Raglan coast. Drilling began within the permit area on November 26 with is expected to be complete by the end of the January.

The Texan oil giant fended off a Greenpeace attempt to a judicial review in the Wellington High Court.

Greenpeace made the urgent application in November to force a Government U-Turn on the decision to allow Anadarko's drillship to carry out operations in the Taranaki Basin.

Tauranga MP and Minister of Energy and Resources Simon Bridges is broadly aware of the Green Party's campaign but is questioning the party's approach to the issue.

'Obviously we live in a strong liberal democracy in New Zealand and I absolutely support everyone's right to have their say and to campaign on issues,” says Simon.

'I think the Greens, however, are clearly wanting to play politics rather than necessarily talking about the facts.”

Speaking to SunLive while out door knocking throughout Tauranga and Mount Maunganui, Simon believes he is gaining a strong view of people wanting sensible economic development, and providing safe guards are in place, NZ's resource opportunities should be explored.

'That is a clear view I am getting in Tauranga.”

'I think that we now have a world best practice regime that means everything is done to the best safety and environmental practice and I'm very confident that there won't be issues and New Zealanders can, if petroleum is found, reap really big economic benefits.”

During the two week campaign, Gareth will be visiting beaches across the country talking with NZers about the risk to the environment and economy from an oil spill.

"The Green Party is proud to stand alongside New Zealanders helping to raise their voice to protect our environment telling Texas oil giant Anadarko that 'we wish they weren't here' drilling an ultra-deep well off the coast of Raglan right now,” says Gareth.

"New Zealand can choose to focus on clean energy instead of risking our beaches, economy and climate on more deep sea oil drilling, delivering a richer New Zealand."

A statement from artist Ross Liew, on the Wish You Weren't Here website, says 'deep sea oil drilling is a risky pursuit that runs counter to the values of our nation with its deep affinity for our natural environment”.

'This painting is my response – to take a stand and encourage others to do the same.”

Anadarko New Zealand's corporate affairs manager Alan Seay could not be reached for comment on the protests.