Page 1 of 1 E-mail Message From: Gay Munro [SMTP:
[email protected]] To: General [EX:/O=SOUTHLAND DISTRICT COUNCIL/OU=SDC/cn=Recipients/cn=General] Cc: Sent: 24/02/2013 at 11:17 p.m. Received: 24/02/2013 at 11:17 p.m. Subject: Southland District Plan - submission from Gay Munro, Mokotua. Submission to Southland District Council's 10 Year Plan from Kathryn Gay Munro, 359 Lawson Rd, Mokotua, RD 5, Invercargill 9875. Email:
[email protected] Ph.: 03 239 5827 This submission relates to the Energy & Infrastructure section. I would ask that the SDC make any new (or large scale) lignite mining a prohibited activity in Southland for the following reasons: It is commendable that the Southland District Council joined up to the Communities for Climate Protection Programme at the end of 2005. I note that the aim of the programme is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from Council’s activities and in the Community. I would suggest that the mining of the lignite resources in Southland would be totally contrary to this goal, with it being well known that lignite use as an energy source would result in one of the highest forms of carbon emmissions, with no proven or practical capture technology to offset it. Being a resident on the Ashers-Waituna lignite field, I am also conscious of the direct environmental impact that mining would have on the adjacent Awarua Wetland complex with it's international Ramsar designation. The dewatering required to access a field which lies below sealevel must impact on the nearby wetlands, as well as have a likelihood of salt water intrusion making restoration impossible, so for this reason mining as a landuse in this area should be prohibited.