Environment groups lash Key over lignite mining

Environment protection groups are condemning Prime Minister John Key for announcing his support for Solid Energy's plans to dig up lignite in Southland.

The state-owned company has proposed converting its former Mataura mine site into a $25 million briquetting plant which would make about 90,000 tonnes of briquettes a year from 150,000 tonnes of lignite.

Briquettes are blocks of flammable material used as fuel to start and maintain fires.

Mr Key yesterday told an audience in Invercargill that he supported the plan and wanted to see state-owned enterprises such as Solid Energy expand, the Southland Times reported.

"At the moment companies like Solid Energy are growth companies and we want them to expand in areas like lignite conversion," he said.

The company would have to meet the Government's environmental regulations, he said

Greenpeace New Zealand led the charge today, saying Mr Key's attitude was "reckless, short-sighted and dangerous to our economy".

The organisation's climate campaigner, Simon Boxer, said extracting Southland's lignite deposits would add six billion tonnes to New Zealand's carbon footprint.

"The prime minister's support for such a climate-wrecking project shows a woeful lack of leadership and foresight in a world that is moving away from its dependence on dirty fuels," Mr Boxer said.

"In a world in which climate change is already under way, digging up lignite coal is a criminal act."

Coal Action Network Aotearoa called for a public campaign against Solid Energy's proposal.

"We need to keep the coal in the hole and that means not mining Southland's lignite -- no matter what the prime minister thinks," said spokeswoman Frances Mountier.

World Wildlife Fund New Zealand (WWF) said lignite was the dirtiest, lowest grade coal.

"The prime minister's support for Solid Energy's plans is a major step backwards for New Zealand," said WWF climate change campaigner Peter Hardstaff.

"John Key should be leading the country towards a more sustainable clean technology future but instead seems to be comfortable setting a course for more pollution."