Like most of us who are part of the Box of Light community we're a little obsessed with the coastline around New Zealand and particularly Otago. It's a convoluted treasure trove of waves, wildlife, reefs and beaches that feeds our lifestyle and enriches our health and well-being. I'd like to think that Covid-19 has taught us that those simple things in life are actually some of the most important. And worth protecting, looking after and nurturing.
So I was quite appalled to discover that the Dunedin City Council is planning to add a dump site way up on the top of Smooth Hill. The site overlooks the magic stretch of coastline between Taieri Mouth, Brighton and the city. Does that seem absurd to you? Between the strong winds the area gets that could potentially blow rubbish into the ocean, to the leachate that may pass through the ancestral grounds of the local Iwi at Otokia, to just some commonsense and intelligence around how we think as a city of the future. Seriously? A coastal dumpsite that disregards the value of such a stunning and beautiful area and its people? Surely we're not that supid or pigheaded. Well, despite the fact we're in 2020, DCC is forging ahead like its 1992.
You can follow the Smooth Hill Tip saga right here.
There's a double whammy this week, sorry. Yep, the fossil fuel mafia has its eyes on the Canterbury Basin again with Australian oil and gas company Beach Energy hoping to extend its consent through to November 2029 should its exploration wells bear fruit.
By the end of the year they hope to start the exploratory drilling 168km off the coast of Timaru, drilling into the sea bed at a depth of around 1300m. That's a very long way in such an active ocean. What could possibly go wrong?
If this seems like madness then it's not unique to New Zealand with Australia's NSW coastline also coming under pressure, albeit with the Australian Government's backing. The wave-rich coastline between Newcastle and Sydney is well and truly in the sights of big oil and gas. You can learn more here.
We just can't keep doing the same thing and expect a different result. The era of fossil fuels is over. Let's embrace the future.
See you at the beach ... Derek
PS Thanks for all the pre-orders for our new book Surf Dreams. We've been blown away by the response and can't wait to sign these and get them out to you all in November. If you haven't placed an order yet you can do that right here.
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