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?

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”.

Stop Sniffing The Lignite, Bill

Press release

Monday 12 September 2011

FOR IMMEDIATE USE

Coal Action Network Aotearoa today echoed the Deputy Prime Minister’s claim that the beginning of construction on Solid Energy’s planned plant to convert lignite to briquettes in Southland was ‘very significant for New Zealand and hugely significant for Eastern Southland,’ but said that significance was due to the huge climate impacts lignite mining would have.

“Bill English is right that the lignite plant, and the larger plants Solid Energy wants to build in its wake, are very significant,” said Coal Action Network Aotearoa spokesperson Frances Mountier. “Unfortunately, he is completely wrong about what that significance is.”

“Developing lignite is very significant for New Zealand because of the massive increase in greenhouse gas emissions that will result from mining and ultimately burning the lignite, which is a low-quality, dirty brown coal,” Ms Mountier continued. “And it’s hugely significant to Eastern Southland because of the extensive damage which large-scale lignite mining would cause to air quality, living conditions, and the high-quality rivers and streams on which Southland depends.”

“Fortunately,” said Ms Mountier, “Bill English’s grandiose claims aren’t matched by the reality on the ground. The only thing Solid Energy has got permission to build at present is a comparatively small-scale pilot plant. Even Solid Energy are claiming it will only employ thirteen full-time staff when built.”

“While Bill English and Solid Energy’s Don Elder are busy patting each other on the back,” Frances Mountier concluded, “people all around the country are working to roll back the damage this Government is doing to New Zealand’s environment and our international reputation. Our advice to Bill English is: stop sniffing the lignite and try sniffing the air instead.”

Revised Energy Strategy shows Government running scared on lignite mining issue

Press release: Coal Action Network Aotearoa
Tuesday 29th August 2011
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Coal Action Network Aotearoa says that changes to the New Zealand Energy Strategy, released today, show that the Government is running scared of growing public opposition to its plans to mine massive quantities of lignite in Southland.

“In April, we obtained a copy of the latest version of the Government’s New Zealand Energy Strategy and released it to the media,” said Coal Action Network Aotearoa spokesperson Frances Mountier.(1) “That version talked about making urea and liquid fuels from coal, which is what Government-owned Solid Energy wants to do with the billions of tonnes of low-quality brown coal, called lignite, that lies beneath prime Southland farmland. That is a massively polluting process. It would be terrible for greenhouse gas emissions, and terrible for the local environment.”

“Since April,” Frances Mountier continued, “there has been a groundswell of public and political opinion against these lignite mining plans. Only last week, National list MP Michael Woodhouse announced his public opposition to lignite mining at a pre-election meeting in Dunedin.”(2)

“Now the Government has finally got around to releasing its New Zealand Energy Strategy, it has dropped the references to making urea and liquid fuels from coal. That tells us that the Government is feeling the pressure from public opposition to lignite mining,” said Frances Mountier.

“We’re pleased they have made this change,” continued Ms Mountier, “but the strategy as a whole demonstrates the Government’s determination to leap boldly back to the 1950s. After a few weasel words about the need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the Strategy gets down to its real business, which is promoting the exploitation of fossil fuels in every which way the Government thinks it can get away with. At the very time when the Government’s energy focus should be on reducing greenhouse gas emissions, it has chosen to treat the climate and the planet with contempt.”

“Well, we’re here to tell them they won’t get away with it. They are already having to soft-pedal their lignite mining plans. Until the Government abandons its outdated approach to energy strategy that completely ignores the risks of catastrophic climate change, they are going to feel the heat of public opposition up and down the country,” Frances Mountier concluded.

ENDS

Contact
Frances Mountier, Coal Action Network Aotearoa Spokesperson
021 175 7484

(1) This draft version is available on the Coal Action Network Aotearoa website at http://coalactionnetworkaotearoa.wordpress.com/2011/04/04/press-release-advance-copy-of-the-governments-new-zealand-energy-strategy/

(2) See http://coalactionnetworkaotearoa.wordpress.com/2011/08/29/politics-watch/

–

Coal Action Network Aotearoa (CAN Aotearoa) is a group of climate justice campaigners committed to fighting the continuation of coal mining in Aotearoa New Zealand.

CAN Aotearoa’s objectives are to:
1. Phase out coal mining and coal usage within 20 years, initially by opposing new and expanded coal mines.
2. Promote a cultural change so that mining and using coal are unacceptable.
3. Work towards a society where people and the environment are not exploited for profit.
4. Be part of a just transition to a coal-free Aotearoa New Zealand.

Find out more at: http://coalactionnetworkaotearoa.wordpress.com/

Or join the CAN Aotearoa supporters list by emailing: coalactionnetwork@gmail.com

Southland Times Article On Energy Strategy

Southland Times article quoting Coal Action Network Aotearoa. The Government are soft pedalling on Lignite.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/southland-times/news/5536005/Lignite-opponents-say-Govt-running-scared

Politics Watch

National list MP Michael Woodhouse has broken ranks with the Prime Minister and publicly stated his opposition to lignite mining at a meeting in Dunedin organised by Generation Zero. Read the full story here:

http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO1108/S00366/national-mp-says-no-to-lignite-mining.htm

A similar stance by Auckland National MP Nikki Kaye against mining in National Parks was the first sign that National was losing its nerve over its plan to mine Schedule 4 lands. Let’s make this the beginning of the end for National’s lignite mining plans! You can help the process by telling your local National MP or candidate about this development and inviting them to follow Michael Woodhouse’s lead.

As a bonus, fire off an email to the Prime Minister and ask him what he thinks of this rebellion in the ranks.

Generation Zero have some great tips for your letters, here: http://generationzero.org.nz/681