Media Release

High Court rejects SHVC snail case

8 December 2006

Solid Energy is delighted that the High Court has dismissed all grounds of Save Happy Valley Coalition's challenge to the legality of a Ministerial decision granting a Wildlife Permit to the company.

The case was held in Wellington on Wednesday, 6 December and the decision released late today.

Solid Energy was granted the Wildlife Permit by the Minister of Conservation and Associate Minister of Energy on 12 April 2006 to move the snails by hand and to carry out direct transfer of the snail habitat to an area which will not be mined.

Under the permit, Solid Energy is required to find at least 250 snails from across the permit area after handing over 50 snails to the Department of Conservation for a Solid Energy-funded captive breeding programme.

To date more than 1600 live Powelliphanta "Augustus" snails have been collected on the ridgeline of Stockton Opencast Mine in the Buller, leading Solid Energy's experts to conclude that the snail population is much greater than initially estimated and is likely to exceed 5,000.

For further information contact:
Vicki Blyth
Communications Director
Solid Energy New Zealand Ltd
Telephone: 03 345 6000
Mobile: 021 670 250