WGTN: What's On Very Soon!
*** TODAY, MONDAY, 27 August
* ‘Women say NO to Star Wars’ protest (celebrating the 20th anniversary of Greenham Common Women’s Peace Camp), 5-30pm
to 6-30pm, at the US Embassy, 29 Fitzherbert Tce, Thorndon. Things you could bring with you: something to tie to the
fence; felt pen for writing on doves to tie on the fence; wool for weaving in the fence; something to make a noise with
- pot and wooden spoon, whistle, your voice ... candles; your own banner or placard if you wish. Tarpaulins and lengths
of rope for the shelter would be helpful if it's raining. For more info check out
http://www.converge.org.nz/pma/gnham20.htm
*** TOMORROW, TUESDAY, 28 August
** Two rallies in parliament grounds:
* at 1-15pm - a peaceful action to thank Sandra Lee for her decision on the Macraes Mine and preventing the
establishment of New Zealand's largest toxic waste dump in Victoria Conservation Park. Please come along and show your
support for the Minister's decision and send a message that hard rock gold mining with its forest destruction and huge
pollution risk from acid mine drainage, mine discharges and large tailings dams, is not needed on conservation land nor
in our streams and rivers. Organised by members of Forest and Bird, Victoria University Environment Group, the Green
Party, ECO & others are organising the event (see below for press statement).
*at 1-30pm - rally to greet Israeli politicians arriving at parliament, bring your own banner or placard on the theme of
'Stop occupying Palestinian land'. For more info contact Eileen Cassidy, tel (04) 389 3440.
Media release from the organisers of Tuesday's rally in support of Sandra Lee
Decision on Macraes' Mine Environmental Common Sense
Conservation Minister, Sandra Lee's decision to decline consent to GRD Macraes' mining access application is
environmental common sense, Forest and Bird says.
GRD Macraes Ltd sought access to 550 ha of Victoria Conservation Park near Reefton for its proposed hard rock gold mine.
"The Minister's decision is the only sensible one, both environmentally and financially. It reduces the ongoing
environmental risks and financial costs to the Crown and West Coast ratepayers of managing New Zealand's largest toxic
waste site in perpetuity," Forest and Bird field officer, Eugenie Sage said.
"Siting 13 million tonnes of tailings, contaminated with a toxic cocktail or arsenic, cyanide and heavy metals, in steep
country with a high rainfall and with 12 earthquake faults within 50 km would be asking for trouble," she said.
"Hard rock gold mining is "dirty development" which the West Coast is moving beyond with its current tourism growth.
"Tailings dumps have a poor safety record with four major failures in tailings dams in 2000 alone in the United States,
Sweden and Romania. The mine's main tailings dam (Devils Creek) would have been New Zealand's second largest earth/rock
dam after Benmore and higher than the Clyde Dam. It would have been double the size of Coromandel's Golden
Cross/Waitekauri mine.
"The Minister's decision recognises the mine's devastating environmental impacts. It would have obliterated forest and
wildlife habitat over at least 290 ha of the park and exposed a nationally outstanding river system (the Buller) to
major pollution problems from acid mine drainage, and seepage or subsidence in the tailings dumps."
"In the middle of an energy crisis it makes no sense to increase the power demand on the West Coast by more than a
third," Ms Sage said. "Hard rock mining is energy intensive and the mine would have required an around the clock supply
of 12 MW. Current West Coast power demand is 36 MW with local dams producing 16 MW.
"The Minister also needs to cancel the access arrangement agreed to in principle by former Conservation Minister, Denis
Marshall in 1993 for a mine half the size of the company's current proposal."
"The smaller 1993 proposal is still sizeable. It involves a 35 ha pit, 50 ha waste rock stack and 22 ha tailings dump.
Such a mine would have severe impacts on waterways, including the Inangahua and Buller Rivers because of the acid mine
drainage and other pollution problems commonly associated with hard rock gold mining," Ms Sage said.
"The company has sought major changes to the access agreement since 1993 to increase the mine's size and impacts. Forest
and Bird believes the extent of the changes and the company's inability to restore the site mean the original access
agreement is invalid.
Notes to media
More than 60 % of the site is pristine beech and beech/rimu forest and has not been previously mined, contrary to
statements by Buller Mayor, Pat O'Dea.
The results of a two year West Coast tourism study by Lincoln University's Tourism Department released this week shows
that the West Coast has the fastest growing tourism industry in New Zealand. The study also shows that tourism growth is
directly correlated with quality of the natural environment, for example the township of Ross, which has a large gold
mine adjacent to the town, has the slowest economic growth.
Any loss of short term (7-10 year) mine jobs needs to be offset against the significant economic growth occurring on the
West Coast, led by tourism and dairying. In June 2001 the National Bank's economic activity survey showed that that West
Coast, at 3.9%, was second only to Otago in year on year growth in New Zealand. For the March 2001 quarter, the West
Coast led New Zealand in retail sales and employment growth.
Contact: Eugenie Sage (03) 3666 317 (work) or (03) 3371 251 (home) or Barry Weeber phone (04) 385 7374 (work) or (025)
622-7369.
Peace Movement Aotearoa
the national networking peace group
PO Box 9314, Wellington, Aotearoa / New Zealand.
tel +64 4 382 8129, fax 382 8173, pma@xtra.co.nz
website http://www.converge.org.nz/pma/
Internet Peace Gateway http://www.peace.org.nz