Solid Energy and the National Government: So Happy Together

“The Government was worried about Solid Energy’s ambitious investment plans and rosy view of coal prices as far back as 2009 but was unable to order the company to steer a safer course, Prime Minister John Key says.” (26 February 2013, New Zealand Herald.)

Gee, that’s a surprise, Mr Prime Minister! Because here’s what you said on 3 June 2011:

“Speaking in Invercargill yesterday, Mr Key said he supported Solid Energy’s plan to dig up lignite and turn it into briquettes, saying the Government wanted companies such as Solid Energy, which is Government-owned, to expand.” (PM backs mining south’s lignite, Southland Times)

And here is a picture from the National Party’s own photo stream of John Key’s deputy, Bill English, turning the first sod for Solid Energy’s pilot lignite briquetting plant – a plant which now lies useless in the middle of the Mataura Valley:

Don Elder and Bill English: So happy together

Isn’t it nice the way Don lets Bill take the lead? Isn’t it nice the way they both smile for the camera? Isn’t it a pity how rats fight to be first to leave the sinking ship?

Mining plan ‘pure lunacy’, lobby group says

Coal Action Network Spokesperson Kristin Gillies on TVNZ’s Breakfast explaining why we think opening another coal mine is not the answer to the West Coast’s economic crisis. view here…….

All Solid Energy staff should be back at work tomorrow, and then lets begin a conversation about how we are going to provide long-term sustainable livelihoods for those communities.

Do You Want Mining Companies To Have Easier Access To Your Land?

The Government is currently reviewing the Crown Minerals Act 1991, and submissions on the review close on Friday 20 April. We think it’s a good idea for as many people as possible to submit on this review – so, if making submissions is your thing, this is a good thing to submit on.

Why? Well, to address the headline issue first, there have been suggestions that the Government plans to use this review to water down or even remove the provisions in the Crown Minerals Act that currently give private landowners the right to refuse mining companies access to their land. We think this might be quite an unpopular change, not least with farmers.

But there are other, wider matters worth commenting on, as outlined in the excellent submission guide on the Green Party blog at http://www.greens.org.nz/takeaction/submissionguides/review-crown-minerals-act-1991-regime - the following bullet points come from the Green Party submission guide:

• Currently the Crown Minerals Act allows the Government to grant permits for deep sea oil drilling. We suggest amending the Crown Minerals Act to prohibit permits for prospecting, exploration and production of oil in waters greater than 200 metres deep. Deep sea oil drilling is too risky.
• Under the Crown Minerals Act, the Government grants permits for oil and gas exploration that allow companies to use the controversial practice of fracking – pumping water, sand and chemicals at high pressure deep into the earth in order to extract oil and gas. Please tell the Government that oil and gas exploration permits should not allow fracking until the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment can assure the public it is safe.
• Mining and extraction has adverse effects on landforms, oceans, waterways and ecosystems. It is currently prohibited in National Parks and various other types of reserve, but under the Crown Minerals Act 1991 it occurs contentiously in other parts of the conservation estate. Tell the Government to amend the Crown Minerals Act to prohibit new exploration, prospecting and mining on conservation land and reserves.

The Green Party submission guide lists many more aspects of the review that you can comment on, and tells you the ways that you can make a submission. Here is some further information:

Submissions due: 5pm Friday 20 April 2012

Postal address: Resources Policy Group, Ministry of Economic Development, PO Box 1473, Wellington 6140

Email: CMAReview@med.govt.nz

There are a series of review questions that the Ministry is asking for feedback on, and of particular interest is Chapter 2: Health, safety and environmental (HSE) matters. It is a fairly short chapter to read and worth giving feedback on! Also of interest are Chapter 4: Petroleum, and Chapter 5: Tier 1 Minerals, especially the review questions relating to HSE matters.

Submissions due on Mixed Ownership Model Bill & Crown Minerals Act Review

There are two important submissions deadlines looming that may be of interest to many of you:

1. The Mixed Ownership Model Bill, submissions due on Friday 13 April
2. The Review of the Crown Minerals Act Regime, submissions due Friday 20 April.

We have included links to the relevant discussion documents and submission guides, helpfully prepared by other groups.

We are aware that these two pieces of legislation are core pieces of National’s policy and that the Government will be reluctant to change either of them. However, we feel it is important to show the extent of the opposition to these proposed legislative changes as they are both likely to lead to a significant increase in coal mining in New Zealand.

If our many submissions are ignored, we expect to have to show opposition in other ways!

1. Mixed Ownership Model Bill

The Mixed Ownership Model Bill needs to be passed in order for the government to begin the sale of state owned assets. National has identified a number of state-owned energy companies that it wishes to partly privatize, including Solid Energy. If Solid Energy is privatized, this will provide foreign investment to kick start Solid Energy’s bigger lignite plans, and also make it harder for a future New Zealand government to impose restrictions on Solid Energy’s coal mining activities.

This is an opportunity to show the government the level of opposition to asset sales, so we would encourage people to put together a short (or long!) submission outlining why you are opposed to these plans. The Green Party has put together a great submission guide online, check it out at: http://www.greens.org.nz/takeaction/submissionguides/submission-guide-government-bill-partially-privatise-our-energy-companies

Submissions due: 5pm Friday 13 April

Address submissions to: The Chairperson, Finance and Expenditure Committee, Parliament Buildings, Wellington

Or make an online submission at http://www.parliament.nz/en-NZ/PB/SC/MakeSub/0/2/d/50SCFE_SCF_00DBHOH_BILL11223_1-Mixed-Ownership-Model-Bill.htm

2. Review of the Crown Minerals Act Regime

The Crown Minerals Act Regime is also under review. The purpose of the review is to “encourage the development of Crown-owned minerals so that they contribute more to New Zealand’s economic development; streamline and simplify the regime; and to ensure better coordination of regulatory agencies.” BUT! Many of the proposed changes will erode the already weak regulatory regime and open the country up further to mining.

We encourage you to take time to read the discussion paper and the proposed changes to the petroleum and minerals regime. Details at
http://www.med.govt.nz/sectors-industries/natural-resources/oil-and-gas/review-of-the-crown-minerals-act-regime/

The Green Party has information about the Crown Minerals Act Review and a sample submission here: http://www.greens.org.nz/takeaction/submissionguides/review-crown-minerals-act-1991-regime

Submissions due: 5pm Friday 20 April 2012

Postal address: Resources Policy Group, Ministry of Economic Development, PO Box 1473, Wellington 6140

Email: CMAReview@med.govt.nz

There are a series of review questions that the Ministry is asking for feedback on, and of particular interest is Chapter 2: Health, safety and environmental (HSE) matters. It is a fairly short chapter to read and worth giving feedback on! Also of interest are Chapter 4: Petroleum, and Chapter 5: Tier 1 Minerals, especially the review questions relating to HSE matters.

The Green Party Mining Our Future Community Tour

Green Party MPs Catherine Delahunty and Gareth Hughes are holding a series of hui to discuss the Government’s broad “drill it, mine it” agenda for Aotearoa:

What’s happening, what does it mean to our environment and communities and how do we stop it? These meetings are aimed at groups and individuals who are interested and engaged in working to protect Aotearoa from the destructive social and environmental impacts of mining.
From coal (lignite and conventional), gold, iron sands and other mineral mining to fracking and deep sea oil drilling there is a broad agenda of resource extraction on the table. We would like to discuss with you your concerns and the impacts, risks and opportunities towards clean alternatives and a green economy.

Auckland – Wednesday 11th April, 7 – 9pm
Lecture Theatre B15, Library Basement, University of Auckland

Hamilton – Monday 16th April, 7 – 9pm
Trade Union Centre, 34 Harwood Street

Wellington – Tuesday 17th April, 7 – 8.30pm
Mezzanine Room, Wellington Library, 65 Victoria Street

Christchurch – Thursday 19th April, 7 – 9pm
Workers Educational Association, 59 Gloucester Street

Dunedin – Monday 30th April, 7.30 – 9.30pm
Practice Room, Clubs and Societies Building, 84 Albany Street

For more information contact Alina Siegfried on 04 801 5297 or alina.siegfried@parliament.govt.nz

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”.

Advance media coverage of the Keep the Coal in the Hole Summer Festival

Otago Daily Times: Campaigners plan anti-mining festival

Southland Times: Activists prepare to keep coal in hole

Plus, Julie Anne Genter is blogging her cycle journey to the Festival: at frogblog and Jeanette Fitzsimons had The high cost of lignite projects published in the Dominion Post.

Jeanette Fitzsimons on selling Solid Energy

Labour lignite policy a big step in the right direction

Press release
Sunday 6 November 2011
FOR IMMEDIATE USE

Coal Action Network spokesperson Tim Jones says the group is pleased the Labour Party has decided to oppose plans to mine Southland lignite. In its newly-released environment policy, Labour says it will, if elected to Government, not allow Solid Energy to mine for lignite in Southland or convert lignite to liquid fuels.

“We view Labour’s policy as a major step in the right direction,” says Tim Jones. “Labour has clearly taken on board the message that mining up to six billion tonnes of lignite that lies beneath prime Southland farmland will lead to many billion tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions and also devastate the land, rivers, and air of Southland.”

Labour joins the Green Party and the Mana Party in announcing policy opposed to the expansion of coal mining in general and lignite mining in particular.

“Unlike the National Government, Labour, the Greens and Mana understands that New Zealand’s international commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions would be completely undermined by a future in which we make our economy more, not less, dependent on fossil fuels,” Tim Jones continued.

But the Coal Action Network Aotearoa is sounding a note of caution about Labour’s policy. “Although stopping Solid Energy in its tracks would be a major achievement, private companies, such as L&M Mining, are also sniffing around the Southland lignite reserves. If these companies simply step in and take Solid Energy’s place, neither the climate nor the Southland environment will be any better off.”

“That’s why we are calling for a total ban on new coal mining, including lignite mining in Southland, as the first step towards phasing out the use of coal altogether,” Tim Jones concluded.

ENDS

Contact
Tim Jones, Coal Action Network Aotearoa Spokesperson
027 359 0293