Save Happy Valley
I’ve been sent emails all week by people asking ‘are you going to write about the walk the walk crew who are walking all the way from Auckland to Happy Valley on the West Coast of the South Island, near Westport?’ It’s been a busy week, what with Helen Clark and John Key both revealing they are scared of young people, then the Ministry of the Environment revealing that the environment is, or at least should be, scared of Helen Clark and John Key.
But the other big event this week is that Monday was the two year anniversary of an occupation of the proposed ‘Cypress Mine’ site by Save Happy Valley Coalition members, making it the longest environmental occupation in New Zealand’s history. it was also the start of the Walk the Walk protest/procession form Auckland to Happy Valley, highlighting the damage that government owned power company Solid Energy could do to Happy Valley now that it has been permitted to turn the valley into an open cast coal mine.
You can follow the walkers progress on their blog, news page and photo album.
The walkers are apparently at the marae at Rangiriri tonight and still looking for support of all sorts in their campaign to prevent the climate damage and ecological damage that a new coal mine would do to the West Coast and the planet.
January 31st, 2008 at 9:34 pm
the current mine on the other side of the mountain from Happy Valley is another example of ecological devastation that you can explore on Google Earth. (lat=-41.6760531298, lon=171.870129428) If you turn on the Panoramio overlay for Google Earth there are a variety of photos of Stockton Mine posted as little expandable dots on Google Earth. See what happy valley will become if the campaign fails:
http://www.panoramio.com/photo/612118
http://www.panoramio.com/photo/612151
February 1st, 2008 at 10:15 am
A couple of quotes from the State of the Environment report:
“Kiwi now occupy about 17 per cent of their estimated original range, as a result of habitat loss and predation. Since the 1970s, their range has decreased by about 20 per cent. ”
“Just over 10 per cent of the original wetland environment remains across New Zealand (4.9 per cent of the original area in the North Island, and 16.6 per cent in the South Island). Of this amount, less than half is legally protected.”
Well, Happy Valley has a large wetland area and is a significant kiwi habitat, but I’m sure the government will sweep the implications of it’s report under the carpet as soon as possible.
February 1st, 2008 at 10:43 am
Hope the photo is not of the marchers feet as they are going to be very sore, blistered and worn out if they were wearing sandals and jandals for the whole journey.
Takes the “sandal wearing” greenies conoctation to a whole new level!
February 1st, 2008 at 1:03 pm
No doubt devious Dennis from Denniston will be elated that the utopian tree hugger stoner’s are coming back for a visit . Their timing is impeccable, as the altitude crop should just about be ready to harvest when they arrive. I trapped possums in the area and know what dangers and goodies lurk in the bush. I suggest they replace the sandals with tramping boots as the area is littered with old mine shafts. Tell them too be beware of the dangers, because sometimes bodies get stuffed down them.
RIP Janice.
February 1st, 2008 at 1:42 pm
whats wrong with being ‘utopian’ anyway…
February 1st, 2008 at 2:44 pm
StephenR, you greens live in the utopian dreamworld state.You silly individuals are always climbing uphill working against gravity until you find some high moral ground to cling to. Any old issue will do, as long as it gives you scope to spin doctor a cocoon of delusion and self righteousness !!
Every sane kiwi knows that the greens are only Helengrad lap poodles !!
February 1st, 2008 at 8:37 pm
whats with the dig at politicians being scared of young people???
Most of our destructive governmental policies have been introduced in an effort to suck up to the ‘young vote’, and the country would be a lot better off if we stopped letting 18 year olds vote at all.
Lets get back to having adults run the country.
Age brings wisdom and experience. Youth is shallow.
Actually, we shouldn’t really let anyone vote till they’ve had children.
February 2nd, 2008 at 1:20 am
greengeek, get real. Parents just don’t get it. Not until they see themselves in their own children. Then realise why parents aren’t actually smarter than young people, just dumber in different ways. Once people have acquired that wisdom then, and only then, should they be given the vote - and the right to be voted for. Seems to work in “traditional” societies.
February 2nd, 2008 at 6:44 pm
(shudder..!..)..
that photo fires up one of my phobias..
( white(ish)/cracked heels..)
(double shudder..!..)
moisturiser..!..people..!
phil(whoar.co.nz)
February 2nd, 2008 at 9:34 pm
Could have done with a straight answer D4J (you do paint a rich tapestry though, seriously), but thanks for the effort.
Don’t know why this was posted in this thread, but anyway:
Adults DO run the country! That may be why youth are being demonised (to an extent) rather than sucked up to. Youth get token representation and consultation, although I did a bit of *hopefully* meaninful work with Hutt City Council in this regard a few years ago, so it’s better than nothing.
‘No taxation without representation’ used to ring strong with people greengeek, not so much any more? That’s what democracy is - sucking up to different demographics! And what if people don’t define themselves purely by age!? Obviously we do need an age barrier, but who knows what you want better than you do?
February 2nd, 2008 at 9:43 pm
since when was I a Green anyway…cos i post here?!
February 4th, 2008 at 7:02 pm
Save happy valley coilition, you mean like those guys who were caught up in the terrorism investigation and got away on a technicallity?
February 4th, 2008 at 7:39 pm
Nick
The very same ones.
February 5th, 2008 at 11:09 am
I heard they are witches, too!
February 5th, 2008 at 11:27 am
I thought we were awaiting some sort of court trial…?
Probably family-hating revolutionary marxists too.
February 5th, 2008 at 2:34 pm
Yup. They’re getting the firewood ready now. If they don’t burn then we’ll know for sure they’re terrorist….oh, sorry, witches.
Aside from the personal motivation of the people involved in the occupation, how can New Zealand be clean and green when we’re destroying endangered Kiwi habitat to build an open cast coal mine? What is the point in having all these eco-friendly government agencies telling us what kind of fridge to buy or 10% ethanol bio-fuel when we are destroying native wilderness in order to take millions of tonnes of carbon trapped in the ground, put it in boats to be burnt in China?
February 5th, 2008 at 5:22 pm
# StephenR Says:
February 5th, 2008 at 11:27 am
> I thought we were awaiting some sort of court trial…?
Not for the save happy valley protesters, because none of them got arrested as suspected terrorists. The police wanted to search a property where some members of the Save Happy Valley Coalition lived, but they said they were looking for a person who was associated with other groups, not evidence against any of the Save Happy Valley members who were there.
So the only way they could have got off on a technicality is if there was then a police cover-up to hide the fact that they were ever suspected. That would certainly make an intriguing and unusual kind of conspiracy theory.
February 5th, 2008 at 5:30 pm
Well I thought a technicality was more like ‘they weren’t given the minimum 3.95 seconds to read a warrant’, but thank you for the info - it’s a very dispirate bunch of people that are awaiting trial, and all I ever hear is ‘peace, environmental and maori’ activists/’terrorists’.
February 6th, 2008 at 11:47 am
This is the long walker, Heather.
Just to clarify, most of the feet in the picture were people who were just supporing us for the first part of the march through the CBD of Auckland and I don’t think they got any blisters on that short a walk. I have very good, vegan, all terrain outdoor walking shoes. My feet are as happy as the valley!
As far as all that terrorism stuff, I don’t know any, and I have never even seen let alone touched a firearm in my whole 22 year existance.
By the way, the ages of the walkers is quite varied, I am the youngest and the oldest is currently a 72 year old Kaumatua from the Hauraki Plains called Henare. My grandmother who is 83 will be joining us in Te Awamutu, and my mum is coming along too, so there will be three generations of women from one family.
I am doing this walk for the sake of the future generations and the tamariki who are coming into this world in such times and will be the worst effected by climate change and the general wonton degredation and destruction of our environment.
Arohanui to all,
from the road, currently set up with our climate camp in Garden Place, Hamilton. Check out http://www.walkingthewalk.org.nz
February 6th, 2008 at 12:50 pm
Are the Happy Valley protestors just another bunch of egotistical culturally insensitive jafas?
Their website says “Eventually our legs will bring us all the way to Happy Valley on the West Coast of the South Island.”
Perhaps they meant to say Happy Valley on the west coast of the South Island or Happy Valley in the South Island’s West Coast region but didn’t have time to prrofread before uploading the page.
February 6th, 2008 at 2:38 pm
Why would anybody be concerned about the “rights” of terrorists?
February 6th, 2008 at 3:01 pm
If anyone was proved to actually be a terrorist, their rights/freedom would be taken away by being put in jail.
February 6th, 2008 at 7:37 pm
Everybody has rights, otherwise the state becomes worse than the people it is trying to protect us against. Everyone has rights, otherwise you are a fascist.
February 6th, 2008 at 8:21 pm
Stuey
So being a fascist is worse than being a terrorist in your eyes?
IMHO Criminals and terrorists have no rights, in fact those who take a life have no rights at all let alone the right to live.
February 6th, 2008 at 8:22 pm
StephenR
How I wish that were true, the problem in NZ is that we are more concerned about the rights of criminals than we are about the rights of victims.
February 7th, 2008 at 8:15 am
I’m not particularly up with the play on all that…victims right to what? I know there are some compensation issues…
So Happy Valley…no one’s been proven to be anything yet sssoooo yup time to play the waiting game.
February 7th, 2008 at 8:23 am
If you reply, minus any rhetoric pleeease.
February 7th, 2008 at 8:54 am
BB
So being a fascist is worse than being a terrorist in your eyes?
Fascists have rights too.
peace
W
February 7th, 2008 at 9:56 am
When comparing how bad terrorists and fascists are, add up the relative number of people murdered by both groups in the last century for a rough guide.
February 7th, 2008 at 1:16 pm
All support to you Heather for getting up on your feet and walking the talk - we need young people like yourself who care about the future and are willing to put yourself out to have your peaceful say.
I am not sure where ‘terrorists’ and their human rights (or not) come into this thread, but I see the posting as positive. I’m rather sick of the petty negative stuff that adds nothing to anyone’s knowledge or understanding.
February 7th, 2008 at 1:25 pm
Yeah it’s odd how such things happen in blogs…But yes a huge, peaceful commitment to something they believe in, good on’em.