South Westland Quarry Quarrel
May 6, 2021
By NZB3
Two gangs vie for power over resources in South Westland. A private company lost quarry rights and is trying to open another one last used in 1987 called ‘Sugarloaf’. Without the stone it’s a very long way to go to find stone for roading work.
Somehow it’s a battle between a Maori Gang (champion for the corporate firm) and an Environmentalist Gang (against re-opening Sugarloaf.’
There is more politicking magic spells being cast than Act 1 of a Harry Potter novel! With so many things, even basic ones, politicised in our lives no wonder New Zealand is unproductive. Here is a summary of the ODT article from an Anarchist point of view..
“Stand down, you shall not have your tree and bird-killing stone pit!”
“No, you stand down. We must have roads!”
“Carbon emissions quanta!”
“I invoke Aleysha of the Verrall!”
“Fool, the Minister of Conservation has no jurisdiction here!”
“Alaca’zam!”
“World Heritage Area of the Pristine upon you!”
“Bibbidi-bobbidi-boo!”
“Don’t talk to tangata whenua (who have lived in this landscape 1000 years since 1627 AD to now) like that!
“Beware the Massive Carbon Footprint at your peril!”
“The Wizards of DOC preserve us!”
“Labour 6.0 promised no mining on conservation land!”
“But DOC have said it’s OK!”
“Conservation Demon Minister Intervene, I Invoke thou!”
“Increase thy dialogue with iwi, apply tikanga Maori”
“Noo!”
“Strive to greater use of te reo Maori in their documentation!”
“You insult law, regulation….nature itself!”
“Uggh!”
:: zap! ::
“The Demon UNESCO will hear of this. His Eye is upon you!”
“The United Nations has no business here!”
“We have connections to the Green Party, Forrest and Bird, and Trampers United. Stand down!”
“Westland Regional Council Affirms ME!”
“Or I’ll call the Commerce Commission…”
“Don’t make me use the UN on you..”
“Bring it on, I have an army of indigenous words..”
“We have Stuff News”
“Well we have the Otago Daily Times!”
etc.
etc.
It’s all a load of bullshit. Politicking in New Zealand. Who wins? Whoever can summon the most bullshit spelltalk to convince the most people to allow them to get away with what their gang wants.
“West Coast iwi said Federated Mountain Clubs was trying to undermine the Karangarua project in its approach to the Minister of Conservation Dr Aleysha Verrall, urging the minister to take the decision out of local Doc hands… these environmental zealots…”
“”FMC have told the minister this will destroy pristine forest on public conservation land..urning a blind eye to the massive carbon footprint…leave the decision-making on the ground with the local Doc office…FMC have sprinkled te reo terms throughout their strategy but don’t practice what they preach…describing the quarry proposal as an insult to nature, as well as New Zealand’s co-written laws and regulations. She had been in touch with Unesco and said it was “taking an interest”.” – Mountain club group opposes critical quarry, ODT (May 2021)
This is how public decisions are made in this country. It’s medieval and pathetic.
And while I’m at it, it’s also the reason why no good people would ever want to be (or long remain) in public service. This isn’t for the people of the people. This is shadow games and tricks and bluffing and back-stabbing theater. There is no good or truth or property rights, only power play.
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