Elephant in the room at Westport hearing

For Immediate Release
25/05/2012

An ‘elephant’ will attend a coal mining resource consent hearing in Westport on Monday, representing the climate change concerns environment groups are banned from voicing.

Resource consent commissioners, put in place by the Buller District Council and West Coast Regional Council, directed that submitters not present evidence on climate change at the hearing for the Mt William North mining proposal. This follows a recent Environment Court decision that climate concerns cannot be taken into account on coal mining consents.

“Climate change is going to impact our lives, and our grandchildren’s – we’ll be paying to clean up the mess coal makes of our climate and oceans for thousands of years. Our environmental laws should let us take that into account,” says West Coast Environment Network spokesperson Lynley Hargreaves.

The Environment Court decision not allowing consideration of climate change – focused on new coal mines proposed by Australian company Bathurst Resources and state-owned miner Solid Energy – has now been appealed by West Coast Environment Network and the Royal Forest and Bird Protection Society.

A peaceful rally outside the hearing will include street theatre – coal swept beneath the carpet, under the watchful eye of a ‘climate change’ elephant. “Our groups all wanted to present evidence on climate change, for example that New Zealand is meeting only a fraction of the commitments it has signed up to, but we have been told we are not allowed. Climate change really is the elephant in the room,” says Rosemary Penwarden of Coal Action Network Aotearoa.
“Nearly 150,000 people have signed a ‘No New Coal, No New Oil’ petition calling for moves to a clean economy. This would be a major new coal mine in an ecologically sensitive area – it’s time to say no,” she adds.

Groups being heard at the hearing and supporting the rally include Environment and Conservation Organisations of New Zealand (ECO), Climate Defence Network, Ora Taiao: New Zealand Climate and Health Council, Coal Action Network Aotearoa, West Coast Environment Network, Buller Conservation Group and the Biodiversity Defence Society. There are also a number of individuals from across the South Island submitting in opposition to the mine.

For more information, contact:
Lynley Hargreaves, West Coast Environment Network, 037554227
Rosemary Penwarden, Coal Action Network Aotearoa, 0221856966
Colin Robertson, personal submission, 02102468528

Media Release from Auckland Coal Action: Environment Court ruling sounds death knell for climate

Environment Court ruling sounds death knell for climate

All New Zealanders should be concerned that the effects of coal on climate change cannot be considered under the Resource Management Act.

The just released Environment Court decision means that here is now no legislation protecting New Zealanders from dangerous coal mines like Bathurst Resources’ Escarpment Mine Project, near Denniston on the West Coast.

“When it comes to climate change, our Government is failing us, our primary industry focussed economy is failing us and now our legislature is failing us,” says Auckland Coal Action spokesperson Nick Pak.

The proposed mine, for six million tonnes of coal, is the thin end of Bathurst’s wedge for extracting over one hundred million tonnes of coal from the plateau.

Mining coal will lead inevitably to intensified greenhouse gas emissions which increases the risk of catastrophic climate change, says Mr Pak.

Besides the huge risks posed by climate change to biodiversity and landscapes globally, mining itself can have those effects locally.

Prime Minister John Key announced recently that the access agreement to the Denniston Plateau would be publicly notified, then claimed afterwards that he had made a mistake.

There will be no opportunity for the 50,000 Kiwis who marched up Queen Street for greater protection of conservation land to have their say over Denniston, according to Mr Pak.

The defence’s counsel, Sir Geoffrey Palmer, was Minister for the Environment when the RMA was introduced.

The purpose of the RMA is to promote the sustainable management of natural and physical resources.

This ruling has now excluded the extraction of coal and the subsequent detrimental effects on the climate from that management

“If Kiwis value our idyllic way of life, then the time has come to walk upright – away from the destructive and failed environmental policies of the past and towards a socially just, ecologically sustainable future.”

For more information contact:
Auckland Coal Action spokesperson
Nick Pak
021 294 0150

Let’s Put A Freeze on Coal Mining: Wellington, Tuesday 8 May

Let’s Put A Freeze on Coal Mining

You are invited to help put a freeze on coal mining in New Zealand by attending a flash freeze in Wellington’s Midland Park on Tuesday May 8th, starting at noon. (Midland Park is on Lambton Quay between Waring Taylor Street and Johnston Street.)

This event forms part of the “Say No to Coal Mining” day of the Aotearoa Is Not For Sale Hikoi.

Here’s the plan:

12.00: Gather in Midland Park. Feel free to bring signs such as “Put a freeze on coal mining”, “Say no to coal mining” or “Keep the coal in the hole”.

We’ll need some people to do leafletting – please come over to the stall for leaflets. We’ll also be aiming to sign up people to the Coal Action Network Aotearoa mailing list, and Forest and Bird representatives will also be taking part, focusing on the campaign against the planned Denniston coalmine.

12.15: Spread out!

12:20: Listen for the mighty blast on a saxophone that signals the start of the Freeze. Then, freeze for three minutes.

The leafletters will keep moving, explaining to people that we are frozen as a call to Government to put a freeze on coal mining in New Zealand. After three minutes the trombone will play again, signalling that it is time to start moving.

After that, we’ll all spread out, leaflet, and talk to people about why the expansion of coal mining is a really bad thing for New Zealand, the climate, and the world. We’ll explain that we support a clean economy that delivers greater value and isn’t just focused on short-term gain for a few.

12:45: We’ll come back together and conclude the event by listening to brief speeches, which we hope will include representatives of the hikoi, Coal Action Network Aotearoa and Ora Taiao.

We hope to see you there!

Denniston Public Meeting To Be Held In Dunedin, Thursday 26 April

Forest and Bird, with Students for Environmental Action and Coal Action Network Aotearoa are organizing a public meeting to expose the issues surrounding proposals to mine public conservation land on the Denniston Plateau.  The meeting will be held on Thursday 26 April in Castle One, Otago University at 7:30.  It is co-sponsored by the Otago Botanical Society and the Entomological Society.

The conservation groups say that the distinctive plateau with its strange rock formations and suite of specialized plants and animals should be protected and the coal left in the ground to help meet New Zealand’s climate protection commitments.

Photographer Rod Morris will show off Denniston’s secretive creatures and spectacular geckos and landscapes, and eminent botanist Sir Alan Mark will tell tussock and other tales about the Denniston’s distinctive plant diversity. Denniston’s lichens will be exposed by Otago University Student Lars Ludwig. Coal Action Network Aotearoa representative Tarsh Turner will discuss the climate change implications of turning Denniston into New Zealand’s largest open cast coal mine.

Australian owned Bathurst Resources has applied to open cast mine and destroy 200ha of public conservation land on the Denniston Plateau and has permits across the plateau which would dig up more than 50 million tonnes of coal.

Tarsh Turner said ‘Mining the Denniston Plateau will significantly increase New Zealand’s coal exports, at a time when we need to be transitioning away from fossil fuels to avoid catastrophic climate change.’

‘Digging up Denniston is the wrong direction for our valuable clean green image,’ she said.

“Open cast mining will destroy the landscape, and the existing indigenous ecosystems.  These can not be picked up in a digger and replaced,” Forest and Bird’s Otago Southland Field Officer, Sue Maturin says.

Forest and Bird believe the area should remain protected and that mining should be prohibited forever, just as in our National Parks.

Photographer Rod Morris brings Denniston wildlife to Auckland

Photographer Rod Morris brings the story of Denniston’s unique native plants and animals to Auckland in photographs and his eloquent words. Denniston is where Bathurst Resources, the Australian mining company at whose Wellington office opening CANA, Forest and Bird and other groups recently protested, wants to open up a massive new open-cast coalmine.

Rod will be speaking twice in Auckland:

• Auckland Museum auditorium, Wednesday 4th April, 7pm
• Mt Albert Unitec, Thursday 5th April, 7.30pm

The talks are free to Forest & Bird members and Auckland Museum Institute members, and $10 for others.

For more information on these events, see http://www.forestandbird.org.nz/what-we-do/events/photographer-rod-morris-brings-denniston-wildlife-auckland

For some of Rod’s gorgeous Denniston photos, see http://www.rodmorris.co.nz/search/?searchWords=denniston&searchType=InUser&NickName=rod-morris&x=0&y=0

Rod will also be speaking in the lower North Island and South Island in May and June. Once these dates have been confirmed, we will include them in our upcoming newsletters.

Bathurst Protest A Big Success

John Key decided that opening the new Wellington headquarters of the Australian mining company that plans to open a massive new coalmine on the Denniston plateau is the sort of thing a New Zealand Prime Minister ought to do. A whole lot of people turned up last night in downtown Wellington to tell him, in no uncertain terms, that we didn’t want a bar of Bathurst Resources, the Denniston Mine, or National’s support for coal mining and contempt for the environment and the climate.

A coalition of groups including Coal Action Network Aotearoa organised the protest and groups including CANA, Forest and Bird, 350.org and Generation Zero were well represented, as were the Green Party with several MPs, the Labour party and the Mana Party.

According to our headcount, 230 people came along. I was impressed by the energy of the crowd, and by their ability to keep their energy levels up for 90 minutes in the case of most people, and over 2 hours for those who stayed right to the end to farewell Mr Key (about 30 of us). We had a range of excellent speakers from Forest and Bird, CANA, the Green Party, 350.org (and apologies to other groups I may have missed out) and some well-led and determined chanting.

Bathurst were sufficiently spooked to release a press statement earlier in the day painting themselves as the “good” coalminers, in contrast to the wicked, lignite-mining Solid Energy. They didn’t mention the close ties they already have with Solid Energy in other areas.

Here is some media coverage of the protest: Radio NZ, TV3, Stuff

And here is Mike Smith’s excellent video of the protest:

A good-humoured but passionate crowd, some choice banners and placards (see the video) and a location with great acoustics. John Key, Bathurst Resources, and the mining industry hangers-on who attended the opening got our message loud and clear.

- Tim Jones

Show John Key Your Opposition To Coal Mining On Conservation Land!

Next Wednesday 21st March, 5 pm, 1 Willeston Street, Downtown Wellington John Key will officially open Bathurst Resources’ new New Zealand office. Bathurst Resources plan to develop New Zealand’s largest open-cast coal mine on conservation land and we plan to oppose it every step of the way.

Join Coal Action Network Aotearoa, Forest and Bird, Greenpeace, 350, Ora Taiao, Generation Zero, and other concerned groups and individuals from around the country to say ‘NO Mining Pure NZ’.

In May 2010, over 50 000 people marched up Queen Street in Auckland to protest the Government’s proposal to open up National Parks and other protected areas, after which the government executed a remarkable backdown and committed not to mine in National Parks and other significant conservation areas protected under Schedule 4 of the Crown Minerals Act.

They also stated that “significant applications to mine on public conservation land should be notified”. In November 2011, Conservation Minister Kate Wilkinson advised that the application for Australian-owned Bathurst Resources to have access to mine the fragile and unique Denniston Plateau will not be publicly notified.

Bathurst’s proposal for a resource consent to mine coal on the Denniston Plateau on the West Coast is currently under appeal to the Environment Court. This proposal is the thin edge of Bathurst’s wedge which would see a unique ecosystem destroyed and the volume of coal exported by New Zealand increase by 40% and more in the future if we don’t stop this.

So bring your placards and help give John Key and Bathurst Resources our simple message: “Keep the coal in the hole”.

Save Denniston Plateau: Information Evening in Whanganui

Tuesday 21 February 2012, 7.00 pm
256 Wicksteed St., Whanganui

Speakers:

• Kevin Hackwell - Ecologist
• Esther Williams - Forest & Bird Society
• Jonah Marinovich - Talking about his experiences of camping and protesting in and around the Upper Waimangaroa Valley, as part of the Save Happy Valley Coalition campaign against Solid Energy’s Cypress coal mine.

Come along to hear about this amazing area – all welcome!

DENNISTON PLATEAU:
The spectacular Denniston Plateau is threatened with a 160-hectare open-cast coal mine. If it goes ahead, it will be the largest coal mine on public conservation land.  The government, breaking its pre-election promise, has failed to publicly notify the access arrangement for the coal mine for public consultation.

With its great spotted kiwi, West Coast geckos, kaka, giant land snails and other special animals and plants, the wild Denniston Plateau has been identified by DoC as a priority site for biodiversity protection. Forest and Bird are campaigning for this area to be protected in a reserve.

To send John Key an e-card:
http://www.forestandbird.org.nz/what-we-do/campaigns/save-the-denniston-plateauours-not-mine/send-john-key-e-card 

To sign e-petition:
http://www.forestandbird.org.nz/what-we-do/campaigns/save-the-denniston-plateauours-not-mine/save-the-denniston-plateau-online-petit

To print hard copy petition:
http://www.forestandbird.org.nz/files/file/Denniston%20Cons%20petition.pdf 

Other ways to help:
Writing to the Minister of Convervation, Hon Kate Wilkinson, asking her to protect the Denniston Plateau in a reserve and notify any access arrangements for public consultation, and contacting MPs and discussing this issue with them.

Email kathryn1844@gmail.com if you want to do some of these together!

Wellington Public Meeting 17/10/11

Say No to Fossil Fools | Panel Discussion | Wellington | Monday 17 October 2011

West Coast Environment Network Inc, Greenpeace NZ, Forest and Bird and Coal Action Network Aotearoa are pleased to invite you to:

Say No to Fossil Fools

A panel discussion with groups campaigning against fossil fool extraction.

Monday 17th October, 6-8pm
Wellington Central Baptist Church, 46-48 Boulcott St, Wellington. 

Panellists:

• Jeanette Fitzsimons (former Green MP, concerned grandmother) on Southland lignite
• Rod Morris (wildlife photographer) on the biodiversity rich conservation land of the proposed Denniston coal mine
• Mike Smith (Greenpeace NZ) on the threat of deep sea oil drilling happening off the East Coast
• Robyn Harris-Iles (Environmental researcher) on fracking (hydraulic fracturing)

All welcome
Free entry; koha appreciated

Each panellist will speak for 15 minutes. There will then be 45 minutes for questions and discussion, followed by time to check out the stalls of groups working on fossil fuel / climate change / climate justice campaigns here in Aotearoa NZ. Tea, coffee, biscuits provided.

Join the movement against the destructive expansion of fossil fuel extraction in the lands and waters of Aotearoa New Zealand. Protect our climate / health / conservation land / farmland / seabeds.

For more information, please email: coalactionnetwork@gmail.com

Please note:

• There is a flat entry (no stairs) into Wellington Central Baptist Church via the path to the right of the venue.
• There is free carparking available across the road at the Wilson Carpark – Just say you are at the meeting at the Wellington Central Baptist Church. (The Church has kindly offered for us to benefit from this arrangement with Wilsons Carpark).
• Of course, if you can bus / bike / walk etc to get there, great!

Kind regards,

Frances Mountier

Campaign to stop the escarpment mine September 2011 update

Please click to download the September update from the West Coast Environment Network on the campaign to stop the escarpment mine and protect the Denniston Plateau.