Media Release

Public safety behind temporary closure of DoC land next to Stockton ridgeline

12 February 2007

A 200 metre strip of conservation land adjacent to the Mt Augustus ridgeline at Stockton Opencast Mine in the Buller will be temporarily closed to the public to allow Solid Energy to undertake controlled blasting in the area.

The Department of Conservation has agreed to a temporary closure of the land to avoid possible risk to public safety. The closure will be effective between 5pm and 7pm on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays, commencing on and including Wednesday, 14 February through to, and including, Friday, 29 June 2007.

Solid Energy has requested the closure to maintain public safety. A group of anti-mining protesters set up camp on the ridgeline on Monday 5 February 2007. While the protesters have remained safely outside the blasting exclusion zone to date, Solid Energy wants to ensure that the area is closed during future operations for reasons of public safety.

The area will be monitored during the closure periods to ensure that people stay out of the exclusion zone. Clear visible signs (flags and fixed notices) and audible warnings, including a siren, will be used before any blasting takes place.

The protesters have lodged a complaint with OSH about blasting proceeding last week while they were camped on DoC land. An OSH inspector is due on site and will review the company[rsquo]s plans and practices.

Solid Energy National Health, Safety and Environmental Manager, Mark Pizey, says: "To date, the anti-mining protesters have been outside the blasting exclusion zone since they set up camp. To make doubly sure that there has been no risk to their safety we have had security people present during blasts to monitor their location to ensure they stayed out of harm's way.

"Solid Energy has stringent blasting procedures operating across all our sites. The safety of our staff, contractors and the public is a priority. Unfortunately in this instance we cannot rule out the possibly that protesters will deliberately try to disrupt mining by placing themselves at risk. As a result we have sought the temporary closure so that the Police can remove anyone who tries to do anything stupid."

The Department Of Conservation granted Solid Energy a concession over this area in November 2005 to enable the company to discharge rock and other material onto its land in volumes no greater than that that would have occurred naturally. Solid Energy has carried out extensive technical work to develop and implement techniques to mine the Stockton ridgeline safely. These techniques include specialised blasting techniques to control vibration and minimise ground movement bench cuts to contain loose rocks and to direct mine water back onto the mine site silt fences and rockfall barriers to provide additional protection.

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