The decision to protect a section of the West Coast’s Mt Rochfort Conservation area from becoming a coal mine – announced today by the Government – will come as an enormous relief to a lot of New Zealanders, Coal Action Network Aotearoa (CANA) said today.

“This is a victory for the thousands who opposed this mine from across the country, for the precious ecosystem on the mountain, and for the climate,” said CANA’s Cindy Baxter.

Earlier this year CANA, with 350.org, delivered a 6000-strong petition to the Ministers involved in the decision: Hon Meghan Woods and Hon Eugenie Sage, urging them to protect the area.

The Te Kuha Mine Site as it would be seen from Westport – top of the ridge is now protected.

“We know the Government has a new policy to protect conservation land from mining, but they still had to make this decision within the restrictions of a law designed under a different policy.  It’s great However, it was clear from the outset that this 12ha area was of outstanding conservation value,” she said.

The 12ha section at Te Kuha was at the top of the mountain, and part of a wider, 109ha mine footprint.  From the 2015 DOC assessment (see page 10 – and a map on page 9) it was clear the mine site would be visible from downtown Westport, and from the hugely popular tourist road through the Buller Gorge.  The company, Rangitira Developments, had applied to DOC for access in early 2016, but the decision was delayed.

Meanwhile, late last year the Buller District Council granted Rangitira Developments a consent to mine the bulk of the 109ha footprint, in the Westport Water Conservation Area.

Forest & Bird (joined by CANA, and the Department of Conservation) have appealed it to the Environment Court, which will hear the case late next month.  The Department of Conservation originally made a very neutral submission to the Council, but is now appealing the decision.

“Stevenson’s mining has said it cannot proceed if DOC declined its application so we will soon find out whether that was just bluff to pressure a decision in their favour,” said Baxter.

“But meanwhile we – and the kiwi and gecko and this beautiful area – are celebrating.”

The post Te Kuha protection a “victory for the people, climate change, and great spotted kiwi” appeared first on Coal Action Network Aotearoa.

Right now our focus is on the first of these 14 mines – Te Kuha, an untouched bushclad mountain ridge visible from the small town of Westport and from the beautiful West Coast tourist highway. Stevenson Mining have been granted consent to destroy Te Kuha for coal. Coal that, if we were responsible global citizens, we would not burn.

Forest and Bird, with support from CANA, has appealed the West Coast Regional Council’s decision to grant consent for Te Kuha in the Environment Court. CANA will provide an expert economic witness to argue against the mine on economic grounds.

That’s where you come in. Can you help? We need to raise funds to pay for that expert witness.

Every donation – no matter how large or how small – will help us pay these costs. Regular donations are also great. Please donate whatever you can afford to:

Coal Action Network Aotearoa
(Kiwibank) 38 9011 0484435 00

It’s 2018; we shouldn’t need to be still doing this! But we will, for as long as it takes. Every dollar donated is a dollar spent at the coal face of ending fossil fuel extraction in Aotearoa. With your help we will stop this mine.

The post Fundraising Appeal: Help Us Save Te Kuha appeared first on Coal Action Network Aotearoa.

The Buller District Council has just granted resource consent for Te Kuha mine, a 109 hectare opencast coal mine on the West Coast, but the government has yet to decide whether to allow the miners to take the top off the mountain – the 12 hectares that are part of the Mt Rochfort Conservation Park.

The Department of Conservation has stated that this area is “recognised as nationally and internationally unique and for having very high ecological and conservation value.” It contains Great Spotted Kiwi and other rare and endangered species and plants.

At a time when our government is claiming that climate change is our generation’s “nuclear-free moment,”  and has recently said that there will be no new coal mines on conservation land, it must say no to this mountaintop removal.  Without access to this precious DOC land, the mine is unlikely to go ahead.

Hon Dr Megan Woods (Minister of Energy and Resources) and Hon Eugenie Sage (Minister of Conservation), have the power to stop this mine.

Call on Megan Woods and Eugenie Sage to live up to their words, and pull the plug on this dirty and short-sighted project. Sign the petition here:

https://actionnetwork.org/petitions/stop-te-kuha-coal-mine

The post Sign The Petition: Stop Te Kuha Coalmine appeared first on Coal Action Network Aotearoa.

The Buller District Council has given the green light for the Te Kuha mine – a 109ha mine in the West Coast Water Conservation area  above Westport.

The top 12ha of the mine – the top of the mountain – is in the Department of Conservation’s Mt Rochfort Conservation Area and, in DOC’s own words:  is “recognised as nationally and internationally unique and for having very high ecological and conservation value.”

“Earlier this month Conservation Minister Eugenie Sage signalled there would be no new mines on conservation land,” said Rosemary Penwarden of CANA.

“This is now her test: will she allow a coal miner to take the top off a mountain, in an area that contains the endangered Great Spotted Kiwi?  Or will she all coal mining to go ahead, wiping out crucial biodiversity for coal that, ultimately, will end up in the atmosphere causing climate change?”

All indications are that the best coal for the proposed mine is at the top of the mountain.  The mining scar would be able to be seen from downtown Westport (see image from DOC below), and from the road through the Buller gorge – a spectacular tourist attraction.

The Department of Conservation’s role in the Buller District Council hearing was one of “neutrality” – however, one of its officers did spell out the destruction that would be caused to biodiversity.   Hearings for the DOC access consent were held nearly two years ago, and the Government had still not made a decision.

“All eyes are now on Ms Sage to back her words with real action and start bringing the Department of Conservation’s real role back,” said Ms Penwarden.

The post Press release: Te Kuha is first conservation test of new Government – Coal Action Network Aotearoa appeared first on Coal Action Network Aotearoa.