In Hawkes Bay, and probably other places, what's being mined is water. Its the new gold.Unfortunately it serves a couple of purposes:
They can repeat their "Labour broke everything" mantra which they've been saying now for 5 years, with little real proof most of the time
it fits well into the neoliberal framework of "Big Government bad small government good". Portray everything as broken, government should get out of the way, conveniently hey we can privatise everything at no cost to the government.
A government that represents those same private interests. This one definitely does not care about the taxpayer, except maybe Winston, and that's a stretch.
Then you see headlines like this: https://www.nzherald.co.nz/hawkes-b...solutely-critical/D5VRUYDXZFEHDOZCV7SGKLPMLE/
They've repealed the resource management act before christmas. They want to fast track dams, supposedly as infrastructure. This means private land will be bought at inflated costs and conservation land will be grabbed.
And as Bomber Bradbury points out, who really benefits? You need dams for mining... https://thedailyblog.co.nz/2024/02/21/of-course-luxon-wants-to-fast-track-dams/
First it was land and 90% of all the wetlands (the 'lungs' of the whenua that break down the decaying matter that sinks to the lowest part of an area and transforms it into clean, usuable, thriving ecosystems - carbon sinks anyone) have been drained and turned into 'productive' land, whether farms, orchards, crops, or subdivisions.
Then all the straws went into the aquifers and water consents were overallocated (growers, industry, etc) so the 800 year old water system that made the plains such a rich, verdant and thriving whenua is now 3 year old water and collapsing fast.
So water storage is a commercial plan to own water that comes from those aquifers and rain so it can be a precious commodity dollar-wise.
Bugger the people that live there and the once flourishing awa that had enough freshwater pressure in the rivers and underground water system to hold back seawater accretion. Hey, its ok if people will need to relocate from places like Haumoana, Te Awanga etc because losing that natural freshwater/ saltwater balance means the land as well as what is below it will erode and die off through saltwater poisoning...
The consents for the so-called dam/s along the Ngaruroro awa were applied for during the 'fast track' consenting process brought in to help quicken recovery from the cyclone down there.
Those dams have no business being consented.
And Luxon is bowing to pressure from the farming lobby who all want dams to intensify farming. More money for more waste. Nothing to do with energy or electricity, or any renewable commodities.
Now I'm not saying on-farm and community dams in some catchments aren't necessary but the above one is a rort - of the water consenting process and of the river that is part of the lifeblood of the Heretaunga Plains.
That, my friends is why Maori were given a seat to co-govern 3Waters. So much for that - many may end up rueing their stance on that one...
Now, watch fresh water become a very valuable commodity across the country in the coming years if that dam and others go ahead and now watch freshwater quality continue to degrade as sewage, stormwater poisons (from industry, roadrun-off etc) affect town water supply and the natural environment.
Its not all about money.
Those private, non-resident corporates don't give a damn about our quality of life, they just extract & leave to plunder the next dumb sucker.
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