Professor: ‘Coal changes irresponsible’
Expansion or development of new coal mining operations anywhere in the world is entirely irresponsible, Massey University professor Ralph Sims says.
Sims made the comment in an affidavit filed by Forest & Bird in a judicial review against the Southland District Council. The hearing was held in the High Court at Invercargill on July 18 and 19.
New Brighton Collieries held an access agreement to explore the council’s Ohai forestry block. Forest & Bird claimed the council failed to consider climate change when it granted access, and also alleged breaches of the Local Government Act. New Brighton Collieries were second respondents in the case and Justice Rob Osborne reserved his decision.
In his affidavit which was not read in court, Sims says there are sufficient reserves and supply of coal from existing mines to meet the requirements of industry during the phasing-out of coal as an energy source. The council appears to adopt an incorrect proposition; that if the New Brighton deposit were not to be mined, coal would need to be imported in order to meet domestic requirements, Sims says.
‘‘From a climate change perspective, expansion or development of new coal mining operations anywhere in the world is entirely irresponsible,’’ Sims says.
The council granted New Brighton Collieries an access agreement to explore, and agreed in principle to negotiate the terms of an access arrangement for mining should exploration be successful subject to the granting of any necessary resource consents.
A council spokesperson said the council would not comment until the decision was released.
New Zealand has coal reserves in the ten largest deposits amounting to over 6000 million tonnes, that would last for 2000 years at annual consumption rates, Sims says in the affidavit.
Victoria University of Wellington earth sciences professor, Timothy Naish, says in his affidavit filed by Forest & Bird, that decarbonisation is central to keeping the Earth’s climate within safe operating limits.
The burning of coal is responsible for 46% of carbon dioxide emissions worldwide, Naish says.
The effects of climate change will have significant ramifications for Southland, Naish says.
In court, New Brighton Collieries’ lawyer argued the case was about the access agreement, not climate change.
Bathurst Resources owns New Brighton Collieries. Bathurst chief executive Richard Tacon told Stuff after the hearing: ‘‘We are very reluctant to make any further comment at this time’’.
‘‘The decision is pending and we are only the second defendant.’’
New Brighton Collieries’ statement of defence filed for the hearing proffers the review of the access agreement is moot because exploration has finished.
The statement of defence admits that climate change exists. The statement of claim says the company has insufficient knowledge of and therefore denies: Climate change from the release of Greenhouse Gases into the atmosphere from human activities will result on average in an additional warming of the Earth’s surface and atmosphere, and will adversely affect natural ecosystems and humankind.
The company’s lawyer says in the statement it has insufficient knowledge of and therefore denies: Youth and future generations will be disproportionately affected by the impacts of climate change.