Headline: Greens happy for Valley, mining consents lapse
New coal projects are not the way forward for the New Zealand economy.
The Green Party today welcomed news that Solid Energy is being taken to court to prove that their consents have lapsed for their Cypress Mine in Happy Valley on the Stockton Plateau.
The Biodiversity Defence Society announced it is declaring proceeding with the Environment Court today, arguing that Solid Energy no longer holds consents for its Cypress Mine because the consents were due to expire at the end of 2012 if mining had not begun.
“I welcome news that Solid Energy appears to have let their consents to build an open-cast coal mine in Happy Valley lapse. Happy Valley is too precious to mine,” said Green Party mining spokesperson Catherine Delahunty.
“Solid Energy’s failure to begin mining operations within the seven year timeframe it was given shows what a disaster the company is,” said Ms Delahunty.
“Consents should never have been granted over this iconic landscape with many rare and threatened species.
“Any attempt by Solid Energy to renew their consents would be nonsense.
“New coal projects are not the way forward for the New Zealand economy.
“Instead of investing heavily in the boom and bust coal mining industry and other fossil fuels, our Government and SOEs should be investing in the transition to renewables.
“International research shows that the greener the industry, the faster the job growth,” said Ms Delahunty.
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