Coal News 6
Pete Lusk : 6th March 2005
DOC’s Split Personality With the Environment Court appeal on the Cypress Mine starting in Christchurch today, I want to focus on the disappointing role DOC has played. DOC portrays itself as protecting our environment and saving rare species like kiwi.
Sometimes they do a very good job. But at other times they are terrible.
This is very much the case with Solid Energy’s proposed Cypress opencast coal mine. DOC is helping the state-owned miner get over the hurdles of the planning process by accepting that this very special ecosystem and landscape will be mined, and offering to help shift kiwi and rare Powelliphanta snails.
DOC originally appealed the commissioners decision to mine, along with Forest & Bird, Ngakawau Riverwatch, Ngati Waewae, and Buller Conservation Group. Both Riverwatch and DOC have settled through mediation. This is fair enough for Riverwatch, since its primary concern is the quality of water discharges from the mine and its negotiated agreement looks good. But DOC is in a different category. People expect DOC to protect rare and threatened species like great spotted kiwi and Powelliphanta patrickensis. And people know that a huge element in this protection is stopping the destruction of habitat.
The coalfields snail really is in dire straits. It can only live on the depleted soils of the coal plateau, feeds on native earthworms, and is down to perhaps as few as 1000 adults. The proposed mine will wipe out a big chunk of its habitat.
In its agreement with Solid Energy, DOC has negotiated a condition that Solid Energy must provide suitable habitat for 1000 adults in the rehabilitated mine site. But it’s highly unlikey that the habitat can be restored to anything remotely resembling its present state. The hydrology will be completely different - wetland transformed to a much dryer site, with tussock/herbfield replaced with forest. Even if the stockpiled soil is replaced, will it still have its worms? Everything is so doubtful, yet DOC is carrying on as if there is a high level of certainty.
I haven’t yet been able to discover where DOC will send the Happy Valley kiwis. It may not know itself. Very likely it will be a one way trip - an exile. You can’t bring birds back when others have occupied their old territory - one or other will be badly beaten up or killed. And transfers are risky. One great spotted kiwi shifted from the Heaphy Track area to Nelson Lakes Nation Park got the end of its beak smashed in a cage door and it is still having to be artificially fed. It may have to be put down.
But the real issue is the connection between saving species and saving habitat. For 100 years its been illegal to kill a kiwi by shooting it, trapping it, or setting dogs on it. But its still perfectly OK to wipe out its habitat.
DOC should be fighting for habitat. If it gets defeated in the court then that’s outside its control. But to go along with destruction of habitat, to help Solid Energy move the kiwi and snails, this should not be happening in the new millenium.
Having DOC support for the mine is a PR coup for Solid Energy. On the TV News tonight, the reporter said DOC originally joined the env court appeal, but is now satisfied the kiwi and snails can be properly looked after. Lots of people will believe this.
The DOC/Solid Energy agreement specifies that any statements to the media shall be conducted jointly’. Its like DOC has sold its soul.
Congratulations to the protesters In the last few weeks we’ve seen two very important protests linking the burning of coal with climate change. The first was at the mothballed Mardsen B power station near Whangarei where the power company wants to fire it up on coal. Greenpeace activists camped on the roof for several days with banners saying STOP COAL and COAL COOKS THE CLIMATE. Three 3 Save Happy Valley activists chained themselves to the Solid Energy head office in Christchurch under the banner SOLID ENERGY CLIMATE CHAOS. Police have just evicted them with 2 arrests. These actions are so important in getting the message out that coal is the dirtiest of the fossil fuels.
