Saturday 4 November 2006

PRESS RELEASE:

Save Happy Valley Coalition members marched from Aro Valley toParliament and then Waitangi Park wetland to highlight state-ownedenterprise Solid Energy’s proposal to destroy a pristine wetlandecosystem on the West Coast of the South Island. In collaborationwith local artists, marchers were body painted to bring attention tothe myriad native and endangered species threatened by the proposedcoal mine.”

Wellington City Council put many thousands of dollars into restoringthis wetland in Wellington city that was originally destroyed byshort-sighted town developers, and wetland restoration is undertakenin many parts of the country at great expense. It is inanity that theproposal of a state-owned coal-mining company to destroy the wetlandWaimangaroa Valley (otherwise known as Happy Valley) and Mt Augustus– which are both untouched and unique ecosystems – has beensanctioned by the Conservation Minister Chris Carter” said Save HappyValley Coalition Wellington spokesperson Alex Winter-Billington.

“Climate change has been identified by economists, environmentalistsand social scientists as possibly the greatest threat to humanity andthe global environment today. Yet, despite the NZ Government’sostensible commitment to the Kyoto Protocol, it has agreed to allow anew coal mine to be opened in one of this country’s most preciousnatural environments.” Ms Winter-Billington added.”

An estimated 8% of Aotearoa New Zealand’s wetlands have survived tothe present day; over 90% of has been drained primarily for farming.What is left is critical habitat for rare and endangered species thatwill not survive without them, such as the two critically endangeredgiant carnivorous snail species that are endemic to Mt Augustus andthe Waimangaroa Valley and the Great Spotted Kiwi that have beenthriving in these largely predator-free zones. The health of suchspecies and ecosystems is furthermore critical for maintaining ahealthy level of biodiversity in Aotearoa New Zealand” she commentedfurther.

Save Happy Valley is an independent coalition fighting to protect theNgakawau Recommended Protected Area, the Waimangaroa Valley and MtAugustus. The group was formed in 2004 and has used creativenon-violent direct action to highlight the campaign; notablycoalition members have been occupying the Waimangaroa Valley for oversix months and have brought court cases against both Solid Energy andConservation Minister Chris Carter for their decisions regarding theproposed mines, both of which will be heard this year.ENDSMedia Contact:Alex Winter-Billington, Save Happy Valley Coalition WellingtonDelegate04) 385 4171, 0274 225 128More photographs available on requestFor information on the history of Save Happy Valley Coalitioncampaign history, visit the website:http://www.savehappyvalley.org.nz/aboutus.htm"

Labels: SHVC