In support of the commissioner

I wrote to the editor in support of Jan Wright, parliamentary commissioner for the environment and my letter was published this morning (thank you kind editor :-)

Jan Wright is the our Parliament's commissioner for the environment. She's a very reasonable and I would say, wise, woman. Her office has staff that research the issues that are most important to New Zealand's environment.

Lignite mining is high on that list and the commissioner published her report on the lignite fields of Southland earlier this year. In it, she's says that it is important that we don't dig up that lignite, because of the seriously damaging effects it will have on our environment, particularly our climate. Solid Energy has ignored the report and is going ahead with mining. The Government too, has chosen not to listen to their own commissioner and is promoting the mining of 'the dirtiest of coals'.

Last Friday, Jan Wright spoke to a boardroom full of councillors from around Southland, including many from Gore, giving them the same message – leave it in the ground. I sincerely hope that they didn't choose, as the mining company Solid Energy and the National Government have done, to ignore the commissioner's advice.

Robert Guyton