Southland leaders seek urgent meeting with Government about smelter

Monday, 3 August 2020

Gore District mayor Tracy Hicks wants an urgent meeting with Government ministers.

Southland’s leaders have requested urgent meetings with Government ministers in Wellington as they continue to push for the Tiwai Point aluminium smelter to remain open for another five years.

Rio Tinto announced on July 9 it would start planning for the closure of the smelter in August 2021, saying the business was no longer viable given high energy costs and a challenging outlook for the aluminium industry.

The closure would result in the direct loss of 1000 jobs, with 1600 jobs indirectly connected to the smelter also under threat, the company said.

Gore District Mayor Tracy Hicks, on behalf of the Southland mayoral forum, was working alongside the Southland Chamber of Commerce and Great South, Southland’s regional development agency, to advocate for an extended close-down period of the smelter.

* Winston Peters says Tiwai's closure will impact on New Zealand as well as Southland

* Meridian and Rio Tinto still talking - but what does it mean?

Hicks said he had extended an invitation last week to the Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and senior government ministers, including Energy minister Megan Woods and finance Minister Grant Robertson to meet in Wellington.

The Southland leaders believed they had options the Government could pick up to ensure the smelter kept producing, and the jobs at the plant were maintained, ideally for five years at least, he said.

He declined to say what those options were ahead of meeting with the Government ministers.

‘’The biggest need we have is to get in front of these guys … we really need a half hour of their time.’’

Southland leaders had stated the ‘’critical need’’ for the extension when hosting Prime Minister Ardern and three other ministers on July 16, while deputy prime minister Winston Peters also held a public meeting to discuss the proposed closure of the smelter.

The mayoral forum had since provided Government representatives with information to support the region’s case for an extended close-down period, Hicks said.

This included outlining the work already underway to support future opportunities in aquaculture, R&D for food production, development of data centres and southern space operations ‘’and highlighting the strong commitment to accelerate these opportunities alongside an extended transition at Tiwai Point’’.

‘’To further amplify the importance of this extension and in gaining support for the opportunities that will retain high-value jobs in the region, urgent meetings with Government representatives in Wellington have been requested,’’ Hicks said.

The initial response from Southland leaders following the Tiwai closure announcement was to explore avenues to keep the smelter open.

‘’The approach is now to advocate for the smelter staying open for at least another five years so a manageable transition can be achieved.’’