Stand Up for the Environment

Forest and Bird, Issue 302, 1 November 2001, Page 2

Stand Up for the Environment

National President

GERRY McSWEENEY

o I want to raise my children to serve cups of coffee for tourists? We're not the servants of New Zealand, says Gina Gray, Reefton coal miner’s wife, in the Listener of September 8, 2001. My wife, Anne Saunders, read this and laughed. We have been serving tourists coffee for the last 11 years to develop our West Coast nature-tourism business. Ironically, whereas some see chopping down ancient trees or hard-rock mining as the pathway to prosperity, the world’s most successful economies are those that have focused on services and technology not commodity production. Conservation Minister Sandra Lee’s decision to deny GRD Macraes Ltd increased access into the heart of the Victoria Forest Park heightened debate about future development of ‘clean, green’ New Zealand. Forest and Bird has been at the forefront of this debate. Our opposition to what would have been this country’s largest goldmine is based on the huge environmental risks associated with hard-rock goldmining. The mine would have cleared 290 hectares of beech/beech-rimu forest, 60 percent of it

relatively pristine. It would create a deep, 46 hectare pit, two tailings dumps (76 hectares) and two waste-rock dumps (105 hectares). It would create 13 million tonnes of toxic tailings in steep, high-rainfall country with 12 earthquake faults within 50 kilometres. The mine’s main tailings dam would have been New Zealand’s second highest dam after Benmore — and higher than the Clyde dam. Sadly, this would not have been New Zealand’s first experience with dams for hard-rock mining tailings. In 1997, the Environment Commissioner, Morgan Williams, presented Parliament with a detailed report on the long-term management of tailings dams. He revealed ‘serious deficiencies in current financial and legislative provisions for dealing with environmental effects that arise after a mine has been closed’. He also identified that ‘the risks and any burdens are borne by local communities, local and central government’. His recommendations for legislative changes have not yet been actioned. Those of you from the Waikato/Bay of Plenty will know of the tailings-dam nightmare at the Tui Mine near Te Aroha, and again at Golden Cross near Waihi. Tens of millions of dollars have been spent in stabilisation efforts. Ironically, the day before Sandra Lee’s Macrae’s announcement, Lincoln University released its three-year West Coast Tourism study. Now the Coast’s largest industry, tourism annually earns $108 million directly, generates a third of the province’s economic activity, and is growing faster in Westland than anywhere else in New Zealand. The Macraes mine debate highlights a choice we all face; dirty or clean industries. Fisheries Minister, Pete Hodgson’s decision to ban set netting close inshore along the North Island’s west coast highlights another environmental choice; convenient fishing or saving the last 100 North Island Hector’s dolphins. Around six full-time fishermen will now have to net further out to sea. The Minister acted wisely to save this unique marine mammal. Both Macraes and the dolphin decision are tough issues. Forest and Bird has been criticised for its stance. But we must tackle the hard issues as well as noncontroversial species rescue and habitat

restoration projects. Fundamental to the debate over New Zealand’s future is Forest and Bird’s participation in the Resource Management Act (RMA) processes. This may at times seem long-winded and confrontational, but we have no choice. It is democracy in action. Unless we participate, it is difficult to subsequently criticise or oppose projects that are contrary to our policies. We have been involved in many local RMA battles: to save bush in the Bay of Plenty; to protect reserves on Waiheke Island; and to control the explosion of marine farms around our coast. We also tried to protect, through the Hurunui district scheme, some 400 hectares of ancient matagouri thorn forest, close to Lake Sumner Forest Park, on the high-country farm of the Chief Justice and Hugh Fletcher (which, sadly, has subsequently been destroyed). We must maintain that advocacy for nature. During the intense environmental debate of recent months, I have been proud to belong to Forest and Bird; proud of our present and former staff and of all those members who have written to newspapers, magazines and the Government in support of the environment. I have been particularly humbled by the courage of outspoken West Coast Forest and Bird members, Brenda Kaye, Peter Lusk and Mary Trayes. We value all our members. We also need more. If you are involved in a local restoration project and have not yet joined, or have let your Forest and Bird membership lapse, we need you. Please join Forest and Bird and stand up for the environment!