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”.