by Martin Harris
New Zealand readers can’t help but have seen and heard the MSM reporting on the Marsden Refinery pipeline leak that has brought Auckland to it’s knees. “Thousands of flights cancelled” as jet fuel supply runs dry. “it could take up to 2 weeks to fix”, which means this will likely impact on the pumps shortly.
The mainstream news is, quite rightly, highlighting the weakness exposed in the single pipeline that supplies Auckland.
“A fuel pipeline that supplies Auckland has been damaged and it has already disrupted travel for thousands of people. Here’s what we know so far.
WHAT HAPPENED?
A 168 kilometre-long pipeline supplying jet fuel, petrol and diesel from the Marsden Point refinery in Northland to tanks in Wiri, Auckland, has been out of action since Thursday. It’s believed to have been hit by a digger being used to extract swamp kauri near Ruakaka.
Marsden Point refinery, Ruakaka, Whangarei. The pipeline that supplies fuel to Auckland from the refinery has been cut after being damaged by a digger.”
Two things they SHOULD be reporting on but aren’t:
Firstly, the ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT caused by spillage from the damaged pipeline,
and secondly, THE CAUSE of the damage. Initially, the reports said that an excavator extracting Swamp Kauri was responsible, but this aspect of the story quickly died before the spotlight could focus on this issue. (NOTE MENTION OF THIS IN THE ARTICLE ABOVE) this aspect has been subsequently downplayed.
These are both important environmental aspects of the story that are being swept under the carpet, and I think a clue as to “why?” lies with the Swamp Kauri issue. For those readers who may not know, Kauri is an endangered native tree. Thousands of them, however, lie buried and preserved in North Island swamps, apparently the victim of some ancient natural catastrophe. This is a finite resource and is supposedly managed and protected by law, to be used with care by local artisans to create uniquely New Zealand high-value products. Yet it is in fact being pillaged by overseas interests. The locals are being paid good money to do the hard work, so they keep their mouths shut and take the dollars with apparently little thought for the long term effects of corporate greed.
“Deputy Prime Minister Paula Bennett accepts that a mistake by a digger driver which caused widespread disruption to the nation’s aviation industry is “embarrassing”.
Energy Minister Judith Collins estimates the incident could cause “millions and millions of dollars” to the Auckland economy.
On Thursday, it was revealed that a digger once struck a key fuel pipe near Marsden Point, which by Sunday had caused a major leak that starved Auckland Airport of its main jet fuel supply.”
Well Collins should indeed be embarrassed, as SHE IS AT THE CENTRE OF THE SWAMP KAURI CONTROVERSY:
“In Parliament, Labour’s MP for Te Tai Tokerau, Kelvin Davis, asked the Government if ministers were “aware of reports that local wood manufacturers have been refused the opportunity to buy swamp kauri from Kauri Ruakaka mill, which was formerly called Oravida, and is allegedly involved in exporting raw swamp kauri?”
One of the directors of Oravida is National MP Judith Collins’ husband, David Wong-Tung.
Under further questioning in the House, Minister Nick Smith replied, “I thought the member (Kelvin Davis) was above getting involved in this kind of murk”.
Winston Peters then asked Dr Smith,: “Is he denying what is well known in Northland because people who are high up in Oravida are major donors to the National Party?”
Dr Smith replied that the law had been changed under Labour in 2004″
“Northland conservationists say the logs are being illegally exported under the guise of carvings and the Government is doing nothing about it. The Far North Protection Society said that, despite their complaints, its members were still seeing massive logs dug from ancient wetlands, heading south on trucks to be sold overseas.”
https://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/276363/minister-defends-trade-in-kauri-swamp-logs
I guess my point here, is that the NZ Government is now seeing the repercussions of it’s own greed and putting personal business interests ahead of the long term welfare of the country and it’s natural resources:
You reap what you sow!
SEE ALSO:
The Court of Appeal has reserved its ruling on whether a government ministry was being too lax to allow the export of rough-sawn swamp kauri.
In the High Court last year, the Northland Environmental Protection Society lost its claim that the Ministry of Primary Industries allowed the Forests Act to be breached by allowing the export of swamp kauri stumps in an almost raw state.
The society challenged the High Court decision in the Court of Appeal which heard argument from both parties last week before reserving its decision.
It had argued in the High Court that the stumps were being passed off as artworks and furniture, in breach of the Protected Objects Act and the Forest Act.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11923689
http://www.msn.com/en-nz/news/national/swamp-kauri-mining-at-fuel-site-was-years-ago-neighbours/ar-AAsextt?li=AAaeXZz&ocid=spartanntp