14 April 2004

Green going bush

Green Party Conservation Spokesperson Metiria Turei is going bush for four days on Sunday in support of campaigners in Happy Valley in the South Island.

The campaigners in Happy Valley have been camping there since January to highlight Solid Energy's intentions to destroy another area of rare habitat with an open cast coal mine.

"Just where will Solid Energy stop? So far the state-owned enterprise has sought and obtained approvals that will quite possibly extinguish an entire species of giant native land snail and a do serious damage to a population of another snail species. Not even the iconic kiwi is safe from the insatiable demands for coal of Solid Energy," Mrs Turei says.

The area is home to a population of Powelliphanta patrickensis (a native giant land snail) and the great spotted kiwi, kaka, kakariki and the western weka, all of which are threatened species

Solid Energy plans to move its machinery in and begin mining later this year.

Not only are Solid Energy's actions needlessly threatening the survival of these endangered species the coal they plan to mine will add millions of tonnes of carbon dioxide to our already over-loaded atmosphere and hasten the effects of global climate disruption.

"I plan to spend four days with the Save Happy Valley Coalition and support them in the good work they are doing," Mrs Turei says.

ENDS

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