Cafe scientifique

Talking points

1 Central Otago has a long history of mining
- 150 years almost unbroken
- last dredge in 1954, dredging was a major economic activity for 75 years, and the associated coal mining lasted almost as long
- much of present-day Alexandra sits on an abandoned coal mine
- Our Central Otago technology adopted right around the world, the last dredge (Alexandra) still active in Malaysia
- tailings now a national asset

2 There's still quite a bit of activity
- gold at Earnscleugh, Olrig, Ophir, possibly in the Nevis
- and a few small hardrock prospects drilling/sampling
- coal at Coal Creek (Harliwich) - expanding, not contracting
- aggregate in half a dozen locations

3 Almost without exception these projects are environment-enhancing
- poster child is Island Block, but all others permitted under the RMA similar

4. The RMA provides a high level of certainty about activity and outcomes
- Earnscleugh. Key is conditions of consent. In this case cover all possible effects, including dust, noise, light, water (ground and surface), waste, traffic, community liaison, amenity fund (for the non-mitigatable effects
- maybe biodiversity loss is one of those) ... Outcomes are bonded. Measure, manage, mitigate
- the result at Earnscleugh will be a landscape reinstated in productive use (probably grapes), and a decade of wealth creation

5 BUT - Lignite is different
Because - scale, technologies, longevity
Lignite operation will be an order of magnitude larger than anything present or historical in Central Otago There are three possible technologies, two which occur out of sight underground, one of which is strip mining, but all will involve surface processing and significant infrastructure

6 which brings me to the final point, and that is, what's the role of the TLA?
Is 'honest broker' sufficient?
Note GDC (ODT this week) talking about their future role in large scale lignite mining in and around their district. Note calls to CODC (ref windfarms) to have an opinion, accusations of hypocrisy (brand values)