Ngāi Tahu wants Rio Tinto to engage with iwi over Tiwai Point closures
Ngāi Tahu are calling on Rio Tinto to engage with iwi over the closure of the aluminium smelter at Tiwai Point.
The government has stepped in to negotiate a delay to the closure and during the election Labour campaigned on a Just Transition for the Southland region with the deadline for closure extended to three to five years.
Last week ministers briefed the region s mayors on the ongoing negotiations with Rio Tinto.
But there is another voice that wants to be heard at the table.
$700m data centre for Southland: Proposal could hinge on an age-old question
15 Dec, 2020 04:42 AM
8 minutes to read
An artist s impression of the proposed data centre proposed for Makarewa, about 7km north of Invercargill. Image / Supplied
An artist s impression of the proposed data centre proposed for Makarewa, about 7km north of Invercargill. Image / Supplied Rich Lister Malcolm Dick and business partner Remi Galasso are proposing a giant, $700m data centre for Southland, which could pick up some of the slack from Meridian s Manapouri Power Station if Rio Tinto does close its Tiwai Point smelter.
But although a high-tech twist for the region, it would involve an age-old question: should taxpayer-subsidised power be part of the deal?
An Ouvea Premix warning at Mataura Paper Mill next to the Mataura River
The class-six hazardous substance being stored in a warehouse at Mataura will be disposed of overseas but not before Christmas. Alernate Environment Judge Laurie Newhook issued a minute on Friday, saying that he was ‘’hopeful for commencement soon of accelerated removal of ouvea pre-mix from Mataura, for placing in containers suitable for safe and secure storage of the product pending its disposal overseas. “As will be apparent, this will obviously not be concluded by Christmas as previously hoped.’’ The minute comes after ‘’a period of intense activity and an enormous amount of work by the parties, which is being reviewed every few days by the Court.’’
Hopes the thousands of tonnes of toxic waste stored in Mataura would be removed this year are now gone.
Ouvea premix - or dross - is stored in loose bags around Southland.
Photo: Sort out the Dross facebook page
The Environment Court mediation between the Environmental Defence Society and the waste s producer New Zealand Aluminium Smelters and their owner Rio Tinto continued this week.
The society had hoped the court action would expedite the removal of more than 8500 tonnes of ouvea premix, which releases deadly ammonia gas when wet.
But in a minute issued today Environment Court Judge Laurie Newhook said it would not be removed this year.