Occupation Builds Campaign Against Cypress Mine

Save Happy Valley coalition began an ongoing occupation near the proposed Cypress open cast coal mine, currently Department of Conservation land. The site proposed by State-owned Solid Energy is in the Upper Waimangaroa Valley in the Ngakawau Ecological District, near Westport on the South Island's west coast. The current occupation follows on from two previous protest camps. Solid Energy told RadioNZ news that they had no problem with the sit-in although they still sent in security guards to film occupiers who responded by blocking with a banner and photographing the guards.

The SHV coalition has groups in Christchurch, Dunedin, Palmerston North, Wellington and on the west coast, as well as support from members of coast-based conservation groups including Buller Conservation Group, Forest and Bird, Ngakawau Riverwatch and Te Runanga o Ngati Waewae. The Greens and Greenpeace have also expressed support for the occupation and Gregor Sieboeck is taking a detour from his planned route down the South Island to walk from Greymouth to Happy Valley as part of his around the world walk for sustainability.

Stuff reports that the occupiers plan to stay until Solid Energy and the Government find sustainable ways to develop the west coast economy without the Cypress mine. SHV spokesperson John Oosterman has described Happy Valley as "...a unique and precious ecosystem, home threaten species such as the Great Spotted Kiwi and giant land snail. Furthermore the mining of this beautiful valley will only add to the problem of climate change. Coal is a totally unsustainable fuel source that only pollutes our local and global environment."

Teall Crossen, a lawyer from Forest and Bird, described Happy Valley as a unique alpine wetand at a public meeting in Christchurch last week and pointed out that only 10% of the original wetland ecosystems in Aotearoa remain, a sentiment echoed by SHV spokesperson Frances Mountier in the Herald. At that meeting Jeanette Fitzsimons said that in her opinion the future of Solid Energy was in sustainable forestry, not coal. Save Happy Valley have also supported the campaign to save the last habitat of another land snail 'Powelliphanta Augustus' from Solid Energy's planned mining on nearby Mt Augustus.

Solid Energy have attempted to paint the issue as one of "passionate but misguided" young people versus coasters who need jobs but Daniella Blake writing in the Critic characterises the conflict as one of "Big business, little people".

Link: Happy Valley Occupation Blog