Protesters set up camp at fast-tracked coal mine
Protesters are occupying the site of a proposed fast-tracked coal mine on the Denniston Plateau, near Westport.
The 70-strong group says this is just the first of a series of protest actions they are prepared to take against the mining company, Bathurst Resources Ltd., if the group tries to expand its coal mine operations in the area.
Protesters hiked into the site of the mothballed Escarpment Mine, where they set up camp for the Easter weekend and said they are prepared to take further action to disrupt mining operations in the ecologically-significant area.
I stand in solidarity with the 350Aotearoa comrades at Denniston Coal Mining protest!
Greenpeace adds support to Denniston coal mining protest
Greenpeace Aotearoa has come out strongly in support of the protest happening nowagainst Bathhurst Minerals’ plan to expand coal mining on the Denniston Plateau.
Greenpeace spokesperson Amanda Larsson says, “There comes a time when we have to stand up to the forces that conspire to put life on Earth at risk, and this is one of those moments.
“The climate crisis is an existential crisis. The science is clear; if we are to have a liveable planet, the burning of coal has to stop. Taking climate change seriously means admitting that there can be no expansion of coal mining here or anywhere.
“The biodiversity crisis is also an existential crisis, and the science is very clear here too – we cannot stand to lose more species.
“This planned expansion of coal mining by Bathurst Minerals, cheered on by hapless politicians that belong to a bygone era, would not only drive climate change but also risk losing critical native species found only here in Aotearoa.
“The people taking action on the Denniston Plateau are guardians who deserve our support and admiration. Nobody wants to put their body on the line or risk arrest, but these people have found the courage to do so, and we salute them.
“If Luxon’s government insists on waging a war on nature, then people will rise up to defend the places they care about. When politicians willingly sacrifice our children’s future for private profits, people will stand up to protect who and what they love.”
The simple truth is that mining coal on a climate warming planet is madness!
The simple truth is that the royalties Shane is getting for NZ on these mines are pitiful compared to the damage they create…
All of Govt’s 2024 coal earnings spent treating damages at a single mine
…as Trans National Mining Interests line up offshore waiting for law change that will open up conservation land for mining alongside fast track powers for Dr Pork Shane Jones, shouldn’t we be very aware who is influencing NZ Policy, especially when you consider the open question marks over their Tobacco policy!
Abolishing the Treaty Principles would remove obligation to engage with Māori at a critical juncture when Trans National Mining Interests are lining up to exploit land that can get fast tracked and won’t have the obligation of working with Māori.
Allowing corporations to challenge legislation by placing property rights above human rights while ramming their interests through to over ride our collective interests WHILE taking money from those industries is outrageous.
The ATLAS Network is the international Hard Right Think Tank that have links to ACT, Taxpayers’ Union and The NZ Initiative. They are providing the blueprint for free market far right tactics attacking the Left and are funded by the petroleum Industry. George Monbiot explains what ATLAS Network is…
A crash programme of massive cuts; demolishing public services; privatising public assets; centralising political power; sacking civil servants; sweeping away constraints on corporations and oligarchs; destroying regulations that protect workers, vulnerable people and the living world; supporting landlords against tenants; criminalising peaceful protest; restricting the right to strike. Anything ring a bell?
…demolishing public services, privatising public assets; centralising political power; sacking civil servants; sweeping away constraints on corporations and oligarchs; destroying regulations that protect workers, vulnerable people and the living world; supporting landlords against tenants; criminalising peaceful protest AND restricting the right to strike?
The sooner we connect the Trans National Mining Interests, the Atlas Network and all the local franchise holders, the sooner we understand the enormity of what we collectively face here.
We should not be allowing corporate lobbyists to gain invisibility at a time when Trans National Interests are attempting to manipulate our democracy and economic sovereignty.
Increasingly having independent opinion in a mainstream media environment which mostly echo one another has become more important than ever, so if you value having an independent voice – please donate here.
To be consistent we must also call for the complete end to importing coal for electricity generation and stop all generation using gas.
Yes Huntly used to run on coal from local mines but for some reason suddenly that coal is too good to use so now they import someone else dirty coal .I think they dont want to pay for good coal so they can fleece more from the consumer .
Yes, put tarrifs on imported coal and make our coal great again.
70 people. To stop the project you would need thousands to turn up and make it impossible to proceed without military and lethal force being used. Historically that is how you halt the whims of capital – you need to be prepared to die. A handful of middle class hippies turning up to get arrested and removed is not going to stop the mining project from proceeding.
To be consistent we must also call for the complete end to importing coal for electricity generation and stop all generation using gas. We should nationalize the electricity industry and be prepared for extensive power blackouts especially during winter and for more industries to relocate overseas, unemployment to rise and emigration to increase.
Thanks for informing him regarding China, if he could work out that NZ is only .06% of the world population that should tell him that we are already producing more than our share of emissions which is why we need to reduce them. Unfortunately he has some sort of impediment that prevents real truth from influencing him.
too much green gas from the green weed maybe .
It’s been hard not to miss the recent protests up at Stockton. The anti-coal crowd arrived in vehicles flasher than most coal miners I know from around here. Ironic, really, considering those same cars likely wouldn’t exist without the coal-fired steel and manufacturing processes they’re now so loudly opposing.
Or trendy camping gear and clothing. And cellys.
The thing is, coal remains economically viable because there’s still demand for it. People are willing to pay good money for coal because it’s essential for making things—things other people clearly still want and happy to pay money to own. And as long as that remains the case, companies like Bathurst will stay in business, and towns like Westport will continue to rely on the jobs it provides.
If you are serious about saving the planet, stop consuming the stuff that needs coal (or oil) to be made. If enough people are serious about it as well, there will soon be no money in it for the producers of the stuff and the coal mine will soon close.
Until it gets close to this time I can assume your cause just isn’t that popular. Despite the high profile protests and fawning media coverage. Sorry. Deal with it.
Although Coal exports will not help global warming, I have never understood why we only collect 10% royalty on something we just dig out of the ground. Suspicious that State Coal collapsed under the Key government. Many years ago the reason we built Huntly was to use the coal sitting under the Waikato. Then we bought into the neo liberal dogma and exported all our jobs. Ironically the country that promoted that trend is now trying to reverse it. Lets hope Labour understand this and snap out of the Blairite/Starmerite mindset before the next election. Atlas are promoting a form of late stage , dead end capitalism. Basically a form of asset stripping before consigning NZ to the third world. But I wouldn’t expect a graduate in English literature to understand that.
‘China has 3168 coal fired stations and has more in the pipeline.’
‘China is building 3 coal energy plants a week,’
Actually I was in China last year, visiting my wife’s relatives. In Northern China we noticed some of the coal fired electrical stations are now decommissioned.
The Yellow River floodplain is now full of windfarms.
This does not tally with the claims of I’m right and Trevor but why let the facts get in the way of good rants?
Now at this stage I’m right starts screaming about what the Chinese did fifty years ago and the fact it is a dictatorship yadeyade Uighurs, Tibet, Organ harvesting, censorship- but this does not make I’m right any less of lying bastard and Trevor is old enough to know better.
The local iwi is not backing the protesting .
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