Speech From Save Happy Valley

We are here to protest Chris Carters decision to allow mining on Mt Augustus, and Mike Slater’s completely inappropriate use of Doc to close public conservation land in order to inhibit peaceful protesters and enable coal mining.

On the West Coast of the South Island is a stunning and ecologically significant coal plateau – where kiwi are heard every night, kakariki fly over head and native weka and geckos scurry between mossy rocks and streams.

On the edge of this plateau lies Mt Augustus – a significant mountain to Ngati Waewae that was recommended for protection by this department in 1998.

It is one of our country’s really special places, with high biological diversity, great beauty and many rare and endangered species.

But right now the stunning mountain top is being desecrated, the soil and plants dug up and removed and the rock beneath blasted to bits with explosives to access the coal seams beneath.

A hundred meters away are grumbling diggers and trucks moving around the moonscape of an already established open-cast coal mine.

You’d be forgiven for thinking this must be at the hands of some giant, private, offshore conglomerate with its fingers also in rainforest logging and whaling and so on.

But in fact it’s being done by a NZ state owned enterprise, Solid Energy.

Absolutely shockingly, permission to destroy this amazing place was given personally by our Conservation Minister, Chris Carter, against the advice of his own department’s scientists!

The ridge on Mt Augustus is the sole habitat for Powelliphanta Augustus, a 1.5 million year old native species of giant land snail.

According to Docs own snail expert, this species is highly likely to become extinct if Solid Energy is allowed to complete the habitat destruction that is underway, let alone the diverse populations of other native species that call the ridgeline home.

This is state–sponsored species extinction!

Chris Carter said when justifying his decision that he “weighed up the relevant environmental and economic concerns” and found the economic interests came out on top.

How can this be?

What business does the head of the Department of Conservation – the last resort and safe-haven for our threatened native species - have in erring on the side of short-term economic benefits?!

Doc’s mission is "to conserve New Zealand's natural and historic heritage for all to enjoy now and in the future".

So it is ironic that Carter is here celebrating the opening of the department’s new head office after making that decision.

Thank you to all those staff here who have expressed support for our efforts to stop the mining and save the snails.

Our government says that it is committed to slowing climate change and embracing renewable energy.

But here it is, condemning a prehistoric native animal to oblivion for the sake of a few years economic benefit from fossil fuel extraction!

Surely in the 21st Century the NZ government can come up with some more intelligent ways of meeting our economic needs.

Solid Energy yearly contributes around 11 million tons of carbon to the global atmosphere – the equivalent of NZ’s entire domestic vehicle fleet.

This is state-sponsored climate change and blatant hypocracy.

When looking at the figures, it’s hard to see what is so compelling to Mr Carter in the economic benefits.

The coal seams of the Augustus region are limited and the lifespan of Solid Energy is already therefore constrained.

Mining Mt Augustus will only extend the lifetime of the mine by two years according to the companies own information.

The coal beneath the snails’ habitat is estimated by the National Business Review to be worth just $50 million un-mined – but there is no certainty that profits will even near this figure after mining and transportation costs.

This country has an international reputation as a clean green environmental leader and has the potential to use this to make a significant contribution to global efforts at greenhouse gas reductions and biodiversity conservation.

The New Zealand government has the potential to influence the policy of other nations by backing up recent statements on environmental conservation and protection with meaningful actions and decisions.

We have done this in the cases of nuclear technology and whaling and the general public find much to be proud of in this.

Over the last three weeks, members of Save Happy Valley Coalition, a community NGO committed to saving Mt Augustus from the diggers and nearby Happy Valley from a similar fate, have been camping on Doc land adjacent to the Mt Augustus ridgeline in a bid to halt the destruction of the last 24% of Powelliphanta Augustus habitat.

The action was a complete success and entirely lawful until the West Coast Conservator, Mike Slater, determined to close that Doc land to the public at the times when the protesters presence would inhibit Solid Energy’s activities.

So today we are also here to protest against this highly inappropriate use of the Department of Conservation.

Again, the Department is here to protect our environment, not aide companies with an environmental record as dire as Solid Energy’s!

It is simply unacceptable that government officials empowered by us and entrusted with the protection of our environment give the meagre economic benefits of such a filthy industry priority over that very environment we have gifted them care of!

We call on Chris Carter to re-establish his own integrity and the integrity of this department, of which NZers are so proud, by immediately revoking his permit to Solid Energy to mine Mt Augustus.

Ends

© Scoop Media