Media Release

Solid Energy Rejects Forest & Bird Allegations

8 July 2005

Coal producer Solid Energy NZ Ltd rejects any allegation that it tried to prevent a Landcare Research wetland ecologist from providing evidence on behalf of Forest and Bird at a recent Environment Court hearing.

Chief Executive Officer, Dr Don Elder says:

"The facts are that Solid Energy has since 1997 engaged the services of Landcare to provide advice and expert witnesses on the proposed Cypress Mine. Forest and Bird were well aware of that. Very late in the process (August 2002) they asked a part-time Landcare scientist to give evidence against those Landcare people.

I rang Andy Pearce, CEO Landcare, and pointed the situation out to him and left him to deal with it as he saw fit. As it turned out the Landcare scientist decided not to give evidence for Forest and Bird.

This is just another tactic by Forest and Bird to attack the proposed Cypress Mine. Their motives for raising the issue now have to be suspect. They had every opportunity to raise the matter at the Environment Court hearing in March 2005.

Forest and Bird put me on notice at the time that I would be cross examined on this issue at the hearing, but when it came to it, they did not even raise the subject. So you have to ask why are they doing so now? This is just another "beat up." If they had a genuine issue why didn't they ask the Environment Court to rule on the matter?"

For further information contact

Vicki Blyth,
Communications Director,
Solid Energy New Zealand Ltd,
Phone 03 345 6000,
Mobile 021 670 250,
Email vicki.blyth@solidenergy.co.nz

Links referenced

vicki.blyth@solidenergy.co.nz: mailto:vicki.blyth@solidenergy.co.nz?subject=enquiry from your website

Location http://www.coalnz.com/index.cfm/1,209,600,0,html