News

Environment Southland won’t release independent monitoring report for Tiwai Point

Article from: Stuff 18 October 2021. Report by Rachael Kelly, Southland Reporter.

Environment Southland won’t publicly release an independent report about its monitoring at the Tiwai Point smelter, saying releasing it may prejudice any investigation and detection of offences.

In February, Environment Minister David Parker allocated $300,000 in funding to the regional council to increase testing and monitoring at Tiwai Point to determine what environmental remediation will be required when the smelter closes.

Regional council chief executive Rob Phillips hired Aurecon, an engineering, design, and advisory company, to provide specialist technical expertise at the site.

The company had produced a report, but Environment Southland acting compliance manager Glen McMurdo said: ‘’the Aurecon report is unable to be released at this stage, as releasing it may prejudice any investigation and detection of offences.’’

The Ministry for the Environment has confirmed it has not received that report.

Environment Southland has also engaged EHS Support, an environmental consulting company with international experience in smelter closures, to review a Detailed Site Investigation report, which was released by New Zealand Aluminium Smelters (NZAS) on Friday.

NZAS said that report, which included smelter site contamination results, “might cause concern to people”.

The aluminium producer engaged GHD Limited to complete the Detailed Site Investigation as part of studies to ensure the site was remediated to the required level when it closed.

Samples were gathered across 238 locations, mostly at levels 10cm to 1m below the surface, and were assessed against a range of criteria as per the Ministry for the Environment Contaminated Land Management Guidelines based on potential future land use: industrial or recreational.

In total, GHD found 83 per cent of groundwater samples exceeded guidelines within the New Zealand Drinking Water Standards and Environment Southland groundwater rules.

In July 2020, Rio Tinto announced it would wind down operations at the smelter, which employs more than 1000 people, by August 2021 because of high energy and transmission costs. However, after it reached an agreement on a new electricity agreement with Meridian Energy, operations were to continue until December 31, 2024.

The owner of the smelter, Rio Tinto, has confirmed that it will remove all spent cell lining, a hazardous by-product produced the aluminium smelting process, from Tiwai Point near Bluff.

However, documents released under the Official Information Act show that up until a recent meeting with Government ministers, Rio Tinto were unwilling to make the commitment, citing the fact it did not have a full understanding of the condition of the smelter site.

Posted: 19 October 2021

Regional Skills Leadership Group releases key reports for a thriving Murihiku

The Southland Murihiku Regional Skills Leadership Group has released two key reports that will support the Murihiku region with decision-making relevant to regional labour market challenges and opportunities. These reports provide a foundational picture of the region.

Murihiku Regeneration would like to formally thank the authors Sarah Hannan and Janette Malcom for their mahi and commitment to this kaupapa. We look forward to working with the authors to develop a thriving Murihiku for all.

Download the reports here:

Southland Murihiku Report on Workforce Demand – Skills and Personnel

The purpose of this report is to provide a foundational picture of the workforce demand and skills needs across Southland Industry sectors, today and into the future. This report shares the regional voices of over 80 industries and businesses in Southland.

2021 Environmental Scan Highlights

This report provides a snapshot of Murihiku Southland as a region, highlighting demographics, regional profiles and insights into the impact of COVID-19 on the region’s communities and economy.

Posted: 16 October 2021

Murihiku Regeneration and E tū union collaboration

Murihiku Regeneration and E tū trade union have signed a formal collaboration agreement to further the objectives of recognising, protecting, and furthering the interests of the hapū in the Murihiku region.

The co-chairs and local representatives of E tū met with Murihiku Regeneration at Hokonui Rūnanga, Gore, on Thursday 14 October, 2021 for this significant occasion.

E tū is the largest private sector union in New Zealand with over 50,000 members.Left To Right: Jeannine Meander ( Southland E Tū Leader), Terry Nicholas (Hokonui Rūnanga; Murihiku Regeneration), Karena Kelland (E Tū Public and Commercial Industry Councillor) , Ivan Hodgetts (Ministry of Education, Murihiku Regeneration), Taare Bradshaw (Hokonui Rūnanga), Shintelle Wikeepa (E Tū National Women’s Committee Member), Muriel Tunoho (E Tū National Co-president), Don Pryde (E Tū National Co-president), Karen Brown (E Tū National Women’s Committee Member), Martin Nepia (Southland E Tū Rūnunga Rep), Adri Styn (Southland E Tū Leader ). Missing from photo: Anna Huffstutler (E Tū Organiser).

Murihiku Regeneration and E tū have a shared interest in ensuring whānau have the capability needed to make the most of the opportunities for work and life in Murihiku. Both parties have a shared interest in developing opportunities that reflect the principles of whānau-centric practice and the concept of decent life affirming work or Mahi Tūturu: good work with dignity for the worker, their whānau, and community.

Decent work is central to ensuring Murihiku is a region in which whānau can live their lives well. There is a need for active effort to move beyond (and avoid a regression to) low-skill, low wage and precarious employment and the inequities that people in such employment face.

Murihiku Regeneration and E tū are responding to this context by moving beyond a one size fits all policy ‘solution’, to an authentically whānau-centric approach to capability development. Capability development must also be met with work to ensure that the labour market and societal context fairly rewards people for their contribution.

The intent is to ensure that whānau are self-determining (rangatiratanga) in the identification of aspirations and forming their path. The role of this collaboration is to advocate for, and provide, a systematic approach to support and guidance for whānau.

Posted: 16 October 2021

Tiwai closure study data - planning and results

The results of the NZAS Detailed Site Investigation report developed by GHD are now publicly available.

GHD Limited (GHD) were engaged by Rio Tinto on behalf of New Zealand Aluminium Smelters Ltd (NZAS) to complete a Contaminated Sites work package at the NZAS Tiwai Point Aluminium Smelter.

In April 2021, NZAS released the sampling plan which detailed the areas where GHD determined we should do extra testing as part of the Closure Study, and why those areas were selected.

In October 2021, NZAS released the Detailed Site Investigation report developed by GHD.

See the NZAS website for the full report (900+ pages), an executive summary and factsheet.

Posted: 15 October 2021

Major contract awarded to power NZ Battery investigation - Lake Onslow

The following press release has been taken from: Beehive.govt.nz

A consortium of specialist firms has been awarded a major contract to advance the New Zealand Battery Project’s feasibility investigation into a pumped hydro storage scheme at Lake Onslow, the Minister of Energy and Resources Megan Woods has announced.Lake Onslow, located east of Roxburgh in central Otago. Photo: Stuff.

“This contract represents a major milestone as it begins the targeted engineering, environmental planning and geotechnical feasibility investigation for Lake Onslow,” says Megan Woods.

The consortium, Te Rōpū Matatau, will be led by engineering consultancy Mott MacDonald New Zealand, with engineering consultancy firm GHD, and environmental planning and design consultancy Boffa Miskell.

“The first part of this investigation will look at the design and environmental effects as well as determining the geotechnical fieldwork programme.

“The second part will refine the design, informed by fieldwork investigations of key geotechnical aspects, including the regional geology, rock properties, fault lines and the availability of rock and earth fill at location for potential dam construction. The environmental planning work will look at consenting options and what further work may be needed to assess the environmental effects.

“The fieldwork investigations are likely to include drilling shallow and deep boreholes to better understand the underlying geology, the best route for a tunnel and the best location for a potential underground powerhouse. “This work, along with the environmental and cultural investigations already underway, will give a better picture of the feasibility and costs of the Lake Onslow storage scheme.

“I want to thank mana whenua and the local community, particularly the landowners around Lake Onslow for their patience as we look to conduct investigations and acknowledge the challenging and unique situation they are in. While this project has the potential to benefit all of New Zealand, the project team will continue working with and supporting these groups,” Megan Woods said.

Find out more about the NZ Battery Project.

For more information, visit www.mbie.govt.nz/nzbattery.

Posted: 14 October 2021