The Alliance Party says for an effective “just
transition” to take place, and to keep profits in the
local economy, existing coal mines should be returned to
public ownership.
West Coast-Tasman candidate Sara
Dyatlova-Murphy says that the government, not private and
overseas interests, are best placed to manage environmental
impacts, and oversee retraining and redeployment of workers
from extractive industries.
“Society still
has a need for these resources, and relying on
countries overseas to produce them hides the environmental
cost from our own balance sheet and forces it onto
others,” she says.
“There are new technologies
being developed that will replace coal. NZ Steel’s
Glenbrook smelter has announced this month that they are now
using their new electric arc furnaces, halving coal usage.
The coal Glenbrook uses is domestic thermal coal, not West
Coast coking coal, but the direction of travel is
clear.”
The Alliance Party has specific concerns
about leaving a just transition in the hands of foreign
owned extractive companies, particularly for communities in
places like Buller where job losses would have a huge impact
beyond the directly employed workers
themselves.
“The government has to take an active
role in creating well paid jobs and training opportunities
for workers. We will not throw workers, households, and the
wider community under the bus,” Ms Dyatlova-Murphy
says.
The Alliance has a robust National Development
Strategy and Regional Development Strategy to invest in and
support innovative, value-adding domestic industries and
manufacturing throughout the regions, alongside a rapid plan
for decarbonisation of the New Zealand economy.
Advertisement – scroll to continue reading
The
purchasing back of coal mines into state ownership means we
have more control of the environmental impacts of mining,
she says.
The Alliance is deeply concerned at the
recent fast track application by Bathurst to extend West
Coast mining, says Ms Dyatlova-Murphy.
There needs to
be a considered and nuanced view of the future of mining on
the West Coast. The answer is neither “close them all down
immediately” or “dig baby dig”.
The Alliance is
opposed to fast-tracking projects whose primary purpose is
large-scale resource extraction for corporate gain,
particularly where the environmental effects could persist
for generations.
“As a party, we are opposed to
expansion of coal mining, and we would instead invest in
developing and adopting alternative technologies. We would
as the government commit to funding more research and
development of green technologies as a part of our Economic
Development
Plan.”
