Kia ora tātou,

It has been a busy few weeks politically: protest actions such as this week with tens of thousands turning up in New Plymouth, Hāwera and across the motu with a united voice: Toitū te Tiriti! Also, the weekly rallies and protests in support of a free Palestine continue to carry the message for peaceful solution, humanitarian aid and immediate ceasefire through the streets of New Plymouth. Our group, Climate Justice Taranaki, facilitated a very well-attended wānanga on climate action a couple of weeks ago, responded to the consultation by the Climate Change Commission on 2050 emission targets, emissions budget and international shipping and aviation, and we recently held our AGM. We expect to speak to the Parliamentary Environment Committee on our opposition to the Fast Track Approvals Bill in the next couple of weeks.

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Join our action – Blockade the Energy Resources Taranaki Forum!

Wednesday June 12, Ngāmotu/New Plymouth

E ngā iwi, e ngā hoa, nau mai, haere mai ki Taranaki ki te tautoko i tēnei kaupapa whakahirahira, tēnei porotēhi ki te tiaki i a Papatūānuku me āna tamariki, mokopuna. Me rāhuitia te hinu, kapuni me te hāwaro.

With the new coalition government we face unprecedented attacks on our communities’ ability to contribute to decision-making about new resource projects, attacks on Te Tiriti, and threats to restart oil and gas exploration. The oil and gas industry is meeting in Ngāmotu (New Plymouth) on the 12th of June to flesh out their plans to fast-track fossil fuel projects without public input and without the checks and balances to protect our environment, our communities and Te Tiriti. Like people all over the motu, we are organising resistance! 

You are warmly invited to Ngāmotu/New Plymouth on the 11th and 12th of June to say no to fast-tracked oil and gas and yes to a community-led just transition! You can sign up here www.bit.ly/Blockaded 

Climate Justice Taranaki is working with our friends and allies 350 Aotearoa, Climate Liberation Aotearoa and other groups to organise this protest.

Join our strong, non-violent opposition to the 2024 Energy Resources Taranaki Forum to show the fossil fuel industry that business as usual is over! They want more fossil fuels, more profit and more destruction. We want a community-led sustainable energy future. This is about people vs oil. 

*When*: Tuesday 11 June at St Mary’s Peace Lounge for dinner and briefing. Morning of Wednesday 12 June for protest, with debrief and lunch afterwards at St Mary’s Peace Lounge. Register here www.bit.ly/Blockaded 

*What*: We will peacefully resist the fossil fuel industry and its supporters by using people power to delay delegates entering the venue to disrupt their forum and let them know they have no social licence to keep drilling. There will be something for everyone on the day with different levels of engagement – from chanting and holding signs to human blockading – and plenty of other support roles and activities.

*Who*: As many people as we can muster! The climate justice movement is strong and growing in Aotearoa and we need to get stronger in the coming years to deal with desperate corporations and politicians who refuse to transition off fossil fuels. The more people that come along, the more impact we will have. This is a family friendly event. All are welcome! If you need to get off to work or school in the morning, you can attend in the early morning and feel free to join the lunchtime debrief. Join here www.bit.ly/Blockaded 

*What can you do now?* Rally your crew, book the time off work, make travel plans. We will do our best to facilitate carpooling to Ngāmotu, to set you up with accommodation and to make sure you are supported before, during and after the action. There will be a briefing on the evening of Tuesday 11th. Please also share and invite people to our Facebook event – https://www.facebook.com/events/982817640181596/.

Let us know if you can help in any way in the next few weeks. We need support with media, fundraising, accommodation, transport, creative elements (placards, noise-making devices) and more. Register here to show your interest www.bit.ly/Blockaded If you can’t come but would like to contribute, you can donate here https://www.bit.ly/Blockade-donate.

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Other important upcoming events, hui and actions

New Plymouth. Weekly protests for a free Palestine and an immediate ceasefire. Generally every Saturday, 1pm, at Puke Ariki Landing and Friday Flag-waving. Please check https://www.facebook.com/PSNA.Taranaki for details. National rally ‘All Out For Gaza’ on the 27th June, 11am, outside Te Papa, Pōneke/Wellington.

New Plymouth, 5th June. Kura Oranga Taiao ki Taranaki. 9am-3pm. Katere ki te Moana Marae, Waiwhakaiho. If you are keen to learn more about protecting our environment, our taiao, and reducing your waste from a Māori worldview, then this is the hui for you. Come along and gain some new learnings to take back to your whānau or workplace. More information and registration here https://www.parakore.maori.nz/hui-a-rohe-2024/

Wellington, 6th June. Info evening on attending the upcoming blockade in New Plymouth. 6pm, Newtown Community Center. Come along to find out about the plans to blockade the Energy Resources Taranaki Forum on 12th June. This will be a chance to meet people, hear about travel and accommodation options, ask questions and work out ways you can be involved. More information here https://www.facebook.com/events/1240048846977210/

Auckland, 8th June. March for Nature. 1pm, Aotea Square. This protest is in opposition to the Fast Track Bill and organised and supported by a broad range of environmental organisations. More information here https://www.marchfornature.nz/

Wellington, 8th June. People over Profits: Stop the Cuts! 1pm, Pukeahu National War Memorial. This protest is organised by trade unions and left-wing activist groups in opposition to the government’s agenda. More information here https://www.facebook.com/events/987443623094495/

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MEDIA RELEASE: Govt’s mineral strategy an environmental disaster in the making

“The government’s ‘Draft Mineral Strategy’ released this week by Minister for Resources Shane Jones is a disaster in the making for the environment, the climate and people as more and more rural communities will have to battle these companies whose sole purpose is to accumulate wealth for their rich shareholders” says Urs Signer, member of Climate Justice Taranaki.

“In Blackball, only 30kms from the Pike River coal mine where in 2010 29 miners lost their lives, Jones made the farcical statement that the ‘safety and wellbeing of our people and communities is non-negotiable’. In the draft strategy, there is very little on how to actually improve the safety of workers. In fact, the 14-page document is incredibly vacuous and devoid of any substance.”

“For Taranaki, vanadium and titanium are singled-out as minerals to be extracted through seabed mining which has been vehemently opposed by hapū and iwi across the region, community organisations, fishing groups as well as the South Taranaki District Council. Other than a couple of investors, seabed mining has literally zero support in Taranaki.”

“Secondly, the discussion document’s map refers to so-called ‘natural hydrogen’ (sometimes called white, gold or geologic hydrogen) that may – or may not – be present underground in the King Country and down into Taranaki. The problem is, Jones himself stated uncertainty in a media release only last month whether the Crown can even claim ownership of natural hydrogen under the Crown Minerals Act. Furthermore, GNS Science recently noted that ‘[natural hydrogen] is present in remote locations and likely not at the scale required to develop commercially’.”

“This draft strategy is a pathetic attempt to coax investors and mining companies to the South Pacific at a time when the whole world is transitioning from linear and extractive processes towards circular economies where both communities and the environment thrives. Our movements and communities are ready to defend the earth against the government’s attempt to fill the pockets of their rich mates” concludes Urs Signer.
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Thanks heaps for your ongoing support. We really appreciate it and hopefully, we will catch up at our upcoming blockade on 12th June. 

Kia kaha, kia maia, kia manawanui!