Greenpeace ship highlights Government hyprocrisy

Save Happy Valley Coalition press release

The Save Happy Valley Coalition applauds yesterday’s coal ship blockade by crew of the Greenpeace vessel the Rainbow Warrior.

“It’s time that the New Zealand Government owned up to the hypocrisy of banning future coal-fired power stations here while sending millions of tonnes of coal overseas every year,” says spokesperson Alan Liefting.

“Greenpeace’s actions have helped highlight the greenhouse gas emissions associated with coal mining. But coal mining also has a devastating effect on within New Zealand.”

“If Solid Energy’s mine in Happy Valley goes ahead, the state-owned company will have destroyed a nationally significant wetland and habitat for 13 of our threatened species. And for what? This half year the company didn’t even make a profit!”

The Save Happy Valley Coalition are campaigning to stop the state-owned enterprise from turning the upper Waimangaoroa Valley, north of Westport, into a massive 90-metre-deep open cast coal mine. Members of the group have arrived in Wellington, as part of a several month long walk from Auckland to Happy Valley.

Although the company has held resource consents for the mine for nearly four years, mining has yet to begin.

ENDS

Website: http://savehappyvalleycoalition.org.nz

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