Marsden B Climbing Activists Discharged for their Conviction

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Pirate radio DJ 'Bomber' Bradbury and Greenpeace climate campaigner Vanessa Atkinson on the beach at Ruakaka discuss the climate change consequences of converting Marsden B power station (behind them) to coal. Sunday November 5, 2006.

The three Greenpeace activists who climbed the Marsden B proposed coal-fired power station on 4 November as part of a global climate change protest were today discharged without conviction in the Auckland District Court.

"These legal proceedings are now resolved and we are happy with the outcome," said climate change campaigner Vanessa Atkinson. "However, Mighty River Power's proposal to burn coal at Marden B has now been dragged to the Court of Appeal, with Genesis Energy -which runs the Huntly coal-fired Power Station - joining the case. Both State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) are seeking to overturn the High Court decision which determined that climate change may be considered in the Marsden B appeal. This is despite the fact that Climate Change Minister, David Parker stated he doesn't believe Marsden B will go ahead."

"Electricity generating companies need clear direction from the government about what energy developments are acceptable - especially in light of the aspirations of the Prime Minister for New Zealand to aim to be carbon-neutral and sustainable."

The original protest in Ruakaka, where activists scaled the 60 metre high building, drew attention to the fact that SOE Mighty River Power were still pursuing converting the mothballed Marden B power station to burn coal - this would be the first coal-fired power station in 25 yearts.

Over two million tonnes of climate changing carbon dioxide and other pollutants would be released each year if this were to go ahead.

Exp. contact date: 2006-11-30 00:00:00