Coal News No. 12
Occupation!! Yes, the indefinite occupation of Happy Valley has begun. 75 people there on the first night, kiwi calls welcoming us to this magical slice of Gondwana.
I've been so busy I haven't had a chance to write more than emails, heaps of people coming through our place on the way to Happy Valley, actions around the country, great TV coverage and lots in the newspapers. Prof Alan Mark of Save Manapouri fame has been into the valley. He says Solid Energy's plans for restoring the Happy Valley wetland won't work.
The TV coverage is so important for us because it takes the beauty of Happy Valley and the Mt Augustus ridgeline into everyone's home. People also get to see the poisonous devastation that is Stockton Opencast.
We had a bit of adventure last week when we stumbled upon two mystery men. They were on the ridge opposite the camp wearing camouflage clothing and had big binoculars. They were'nt there on holiday, which was one of their claims. They'd been there for several days and tyre marks nearby showed they'd been serviced from Stockton. Solid Energy says it knows nothing about them.
This campaign has a great momentum now, its heartwarming for local activists to see people coming from all around the country (Auckland in the North to Dunedin in the South). This is such a youthful movement, some of the campers in the valley are still at high school. As well as Save Happy Valley people, there's been groups from Forest & Bird and Buller Conservation Group. I'm really impressed by the seriousness of everyone, the discipline, the understanding that we need to patiently explain to the public ideas like climate change and biodiversity.
We've had fantastic weather for the West Coast. Happy Valley has 6000mm of rain per year, but its been very dry since the occupation started. We have a big tent fly for cooking and even a kitchen bench. Scattered about Whirlwind Rise are lots of small tents for sleeping. We have good communications now, with mountain radio and a cellphone.
Aotearoa's biggest newspaper sent a reporter from Auckland. Amanda Spratt spent 2 nights at our camp and her story is due tomorrow. True to form, the local newspapers started off with diabolical coverage which revealed an obsession with our toileting arrangements. This generated some vile and inciteful letters to the editor. But it hasn't aroused any vigilante action so far and I dont think it will. So many locals are annoyed with Solid Energy - miners are still bitter about the whole union exec getting laid off, whitebaiters angry over river pollution, people in the townships wild about coal trucking keeping them awake, and residents along the coastal strip worried their clean domestic water streams will soon be as dead as the Ngakawau River.
In the last Coal News I reported that a dozen people from a pre-occupation visit to Happy Valley had their names taken by police after Solid Energy said we trespassed at Stockton. Nothing has come of this. I'm sure we didn't trespass and its just another intimidation tactic.
The Department Of Conservation continues to behave atrociously. The local area manager joined Coast newspapers in crucifying us for using longdrop toilets. He came off second-best when a number of letters to the editor pointed out that DOC uses longdrops at most of their backcountry huts and they are perfectly legal.
Four kilometers from Happy Valley, on the seaward side of Stockton Mine, Solid Energy is removing the summit ridge of Mt Augustus to get at a valuable seam of coal. DOC has just granted a concession to the company to allow rocks and blast debris to land on a tiny sliver of habitat of the critically endangered landsnail Powelliphanta "Augustus". DOC says there are no snails in the concession area, but their own records show there are! Thers no limit to DOC's grovelling. In Happy Valley the department has agreed to destruction of prime kiwi and snail habitat (a different species here, Powelliphanta "patrickensis").
I'm old enough to have been in the movement that battled to get a Department of Conservation with its job of protecting the nation's natural treasures. More and more I see DOC as the enemy, undermining everything it used to stand for, and now attacking us, the very people who are doing its job! DOC has vast resources, we have almost nothing, yet it is us activists who are fighting to save the kiwi, rare plants, critically endangered Gondwana snails, whio/blue duck habitat, the mountain tops...
DOCs deceitfulness knows no bounds. They have a formal agreement with Ngati Waewae to honour and protect roa/great spotted kiwi as a taonga, meaning a treasure. But its all lip service. Even at the level of the Environment Court, when Ngati Waewae, Forest & Bird, the local green groups and DOC were challenging a mine in Happy Valley, DOC quickly pulled out, making a deal with Solid Energy. This allowed the judge to not only allow the destruction of prime kiwi habitat, but also give permission for up to 10 great spotted kiwi to be killed. Yet the kiwi is an "absolutely protected" species under the Wildlife Act and has been since 1921. If DOC won't protect our national bird what will it protect?
I promise I won't be so long updating Coal News in future. In the meantime, watch TV news and read your papers because lots will be happening. Check out the website www.savehappyvalley.org.nz
