Business. Scoop » Forest & Bird Can’t Say How Many West Coasters Back Anti-Mine Petition
Article – Vihan Dalal – Local Democracy ReporterLocal Democracy Reporting asked Forest and Bird for a breakdown to show how many had signed from the West Coast. Forest and Bird says it cannot identify how many. . .
Article – Vihan Dalal – Local Democracy ReporterLocal Democracy Reporting asked Forest and Bird for a breakdown to show how many had signed from the West Coast. Forest and Bird says it cannot identify how many signatures came from the West Coast on its nationwide petition to stop the coalmine expansion on the Denniston Plateau, north of Westport. Bathurst Resources is working through the Fast-track process to advance plans to expand Stockton open-cast to an adjoining area to the south, to extend the life of the mine, Westport’s biggest employer. Consents for the current mine — the largest coalmine in New Zealand — expire next year. However, Forest and Bird wants to see Denniston Plateau designated a scientific reserve. It launched its nationwide petition in October and has so far amassed 30,000 signatures. It plans to submit the petition to Parliament on August 4. Local Democracy Reporting asked Forest and Bird for a breakdown to show how many had signed from the West Coast. Regional conservation manager Scott Burnett said the could not give a breakdown of which areas gave the most signatures, but said they had “anecdotally” received a lot of support. “We have been contacted by a number of people on the Coast who are supportive of our campaign and who are not current members. But I would say there is quite a lot of people who do not feel safe to voice their support. ”He agreed there was no way to prevent fake email addresses. “With petitions, there is no mechanism, anyone can put in a fake email address, but I think that is highly unlikely. ”Mr Burnett said they had received signatures both directly and online, with approximately 70% online. National MP for West Coast-Tasman, Maureen Pugh, said the West Coast economy relied on the “long-term viability of mining” and she was concerned the petition might influence the Fast-track Panel, which will make the final recommendation. “I think they (Forest and Bird) should let the process take its course. If they think that there is an alternative for the West Coast, particularly Buller, that can fill a gap left if that mine does not succeed, I would really love to hear it. ”Mrs Pugh said she hoped mining continues on the West Coast for an “environmentally-friendly future”. “Without mining, we cannot have a highly functioning and carbon-free future and also a low emissions future, because everything that we need for a modern society is derived from mining. Because if we cannot have coal, we cannot have steel, therefore, how do we build things?”Grey district councillor Paulette Birchfield said mining on the Coast already had good environmental controls, noting that only a “few” parcels of land were mined. She said coal “will always be in demand”. “No matter what Forest and Bird say, the market still requires good quality coke and coal, and the West Coast supplies that. ”But Forest and Bird’s West Coast chairwoman Suzanne Hills said the West Coast will have to diversify its economy and help reduce carbon emissions. “We have to be really thoughtful about this and plan for our future and plan for a really diversified economic activity on the West Coast, and preferably economic activity where those benefits are held locally. ”She also suggested relocating Westport township due to flood risk could actually create job opportunities. “There is a prime opportunity there to start doing that, and that is going to create jobs. “We need to look at more solar opportunity on the West Coast, like the Reefton solar park. Westport is a relatively sunny place, there is a good opportunity there for solar. ”In the past month, Forest and Bird screened a short documentary ‘A Line in the Sandstone’ about the environmental protests to prevent mining on the Denniston Plateau, with showings in Hokitika, Greymouth, Westport and Okarito. She said they had 231 viewers across the four venues, with 51 in Greymouth, 55 in Westport, 70 in Hokitika and 55 in Okarito. – LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ on AirContent Sourced fromscoop. co. nzOriginal url