Cypress/Happy Valley News No. 5
Its three months since the last newsletter, so I'll do my best to summarise progress. Things do look promising. I believe we have a good chance of stopping Solid Energy's proposed opencast coal mine. We have two big advantages.
Firstly, the public is already won over on protecting kiwi and rare Powelliphanta snails, keeping rivers clean, and retaining outstanding landscapes. There's growing awareness that coal is a huge contributor to global warming and climate catastrophe. So its not as if we are starting from square one to raise public consciousness.
Secondly, we have a strong coalition of NGOs, Maori, DOC and many individuals, either opposed to the mine or insisting on very high standards of environmental protection. Even some mine workers are on our side - Ngakawau Riverwatch was initiated by a group of Stockton mine workers disgusted at the state of their river. We are strong locally and we are strong nationally. All this has put a lot of pressure on Solid Energy with the result that it's having to think seriously about cleaning up its act.
Environment Court Appeal
This is due to be heard in March next year in Christchurch and Westport. Appealing are Ngati Waewae, Forest & Bird, Riverwatch, DOC, and Tai Poutini Conservation Board. Buller Conservation Group has attached itself to F&B's appeal as an "interested party". Both BCG and Riverwatch have been allocated funds from Ministry for Environment to hire a lawyer and expert witnesses. DOC and Riverwatch are prepared to accept an open cast mine in Happy Valley/Upper Waimangaroa if strict conditions are met. The others dont want the mine at all. The West Coast branch of F&B and BCG have both adopted the principle that they will not agree to any project that degrades or destroys kiwi habitat. DOC on the other hand is prepared to accept 'remediation' such as an adjacent pest-control area to boost kiwi survival.
Riverwatch's water expert Richard Anstiss has been busy preparing the highest standards for water quality and a monitoring regime. The idea is to set up a network of stations so no contaminated water can leave the plateau without being recorded. The focus is Cypress, but Stockton and historic mine pollution are also targeted. F&B and BCG are coming in behind Riverwatch's standards. Richard stresses monitoring is only one step along the road. We want to stop the pollution, not just measure it. He gives the example of highway speed limits - unless you have the cops to pull you over and the courts to fine you they don't mean much.
Stockton Consultative Group
This is an initiative of Solid Energy. A few months ago they sent out invitations to Riverwatch, BCG, DOC, regional and district council, Tai Poutini Conservation Board and a number of other groups and individuals. At a meeting in Granity attended by about 50 people, ceo Don Elder told us water quality issues are "top of the list" for Solid Energy. He added, "The standard we want to achieve is the standard you judge to be acceptable". Solid Energy's survival depends on cleaning up and having the NGOs on-side, he said. In answer to a question from Riverwatch's Debbie Chorley, Elder said: "So long as you guys are unhappy with the water, we havent got there." These are very strong statements, but will SE live up to them? Why was SE moved to initiate this group? I believe it was all the bad media it was getting over pollution from Stockton Mine and the Ngakawau Coal Handling Facility. Setting up such a group is a classical way for corporates to quieten things down by bringing opponents "into the tent" and promising they will be involved in important decisions. Call me cynical, but my experience of such groups is we are allowed to decide whether we have Pepsi or Coke at the annual dinner but all the really important decisions are made by the company. But everyone has their own take on it, and there may be spinoffs for us. One is the possibility of using the group as the basis for monitoring and policing pollution - similar to the way the Guardians of Manapouri take care of that lake. We've had two meetings of the Stockton Consultative Group and have drafted a Terms of Reference. This is based on a similar one developed for the Tongariro Power Scheme.
We have a tour of the mine on Dec 4. SE has promised we'll be shown the bad and the ugly as well as the good. I'm told that the main reason SE will want a functioning consultative group is to impress the Env Court that the NGOs are happily engaged with the company and any problems that arise with Cypress can be easily solved.
Tangata Whenua
At the pre-hearing conference for the Env Court, Ngati Waewae's Te Whe Weepu left SE in no doubt as to their opposition to a Cypress Mine. The impression I got is that SE will no longer get away with listening politely to tangata whenua concerns and then carrying on regardless - even to the extent of taking the tops off mountains on the coal plateau.
Save Happy Valley
This youthful university-based group made headlines with their occupation of Happy Valley and a tree-top hunger strike with emphasis on the tragic consequences of global warming. Recently they've been raising money for Riverwatch. Their visits to the Coast are a great boost to the campaign. It is campaigning that will ultimately bring us victory.
Powelliphanta is News
Earlier this week the Christchurch Press had a front page story titled: Giant project down to a snail's pace. It reported on Forest & Bird's letter-writing campaign to the Minister of Conservation asking him to refuse SE a permit for shifting Powelliphanta snails from Happy Valley. The fact that The Press put this story on the front page tells me they recognise snails as important. Powelliphanta have also been on the Holmes Show in recent times.
Coal, Coal and More Coal
The government has signed Kyoto. Yet state-owned Solid Energy is mining more and more coal and got Exporter-of-the-year award from Helen Clark. Meanwhile a NZ scientist has been on the news warning of 'climate catastrophe'. It all goes to show that we are involved in a very important campaign. And history on our side.
