“Save Happy Valley Public Forum”

The Save Happy Valley Coalition is holding a public forum on Solid Energy’s planned Happy Valley opencast coal mine in Christchurch on Monday 23rd January. Speakers will include Green Party Leader Jeanette Fitzsimons on “The Future of Coal” as well as Teall Crossen from Forest and Bird and members of the Save Happy Valley Coalition talking about the mine and the campaign to stop it.

The forum is in preparation for the indefinite occupation of the planned Happy Valley mine site from the 28th January by the coalition and supporters.

“The public forum is part of Save Happy Valley's campaign to raise public awareness about the issues and encourage people to put pressure on the Government to halt the mine” said Save Happy Valley spokesperson Frances Mountier.

“Solid Energy’s Happy Valley mine will destroy the habitat of numerous endangered species including great spotted kiwi and the carnivorous snail Powelliphanta patrickensis, release 12 million tonnes of climate changing CO2 to the atmosphere from the burning of the coal, and pollute local waterways with acid mine drainage,” said Frances Mountier.

The forum will be taking place at 7.30pm on Monday 23rd January, at the Trade Union Centre, on the corner of Madras and Armagh Streets, Christchurch, and media are welcome to attend.

For more information
contact@savehappyvalley.org.nz
www.savehappyvalley.org.nz

Notes:

1) The Save Happy Valley Coalition is a collection of groups and individuals from around Aotearoa committed to stopping Solid Energy's proposed open cast coal mine in Happy Valley (Upper Waimangaroa Valley) on the West Coast. The coalition is made up of West Coast locals, students, workers and the general public. The group has a track record of creative protests, occupations and lock-ons as well as producing a variety of informative media. More information about the coalition and its history can be found athttp://www.savehappyvalley.org.nz/aboutus.htm

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