Wellington, what's on very soon

27 August 2001

PMA,

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.

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.

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