Mount Davy coal

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33873, 19 June 1975, Page 16

Mount Davy coal

Sir, — The Mount Davy coalfield represents over one-third of our inferred recoverable deposits of high quality metallurgical coking coal. The other inferred recoverable coal of this quality is also being prospected with a view to exporting it to Japan. Combined, these two sources total 22 million tons of coal. For New Zealand use, as metallurgical

coke, this quantity would support an iron-smelting industry for many years. However; the total reserves of this coal in New Zealand would only meet one-third of Japan’s present annual imports for metallurgical coking coal, and at the planned export rate Mount Davy coal would only comprise 0.8 per cent of Japan’s annual coking coal imports. Clearly this coal is not essential to Japanese industry now, but it will be essential for New Zealand in the future. — Yours, etc., D.A.D. SHAND. June 17, 1975.

Sir, — Man’s present situation demands that the world put aside technical chauvinism and economic nationalism. A common effort is needed to assure that scientific achievement serves the world, for mankind’s survival is at stake. Yet at this time of crisis, some well-meaning New Zealanders could, by demanding the withholding of some raw materials from world markets, tend to reduce international co-oper-ation by their gestures. Because the oil industry, through the years, has operated a limited form of the law of supply and demand in the distribution of oil, so that the price of this now limited resource hurts the consumer, it is no reason for everyone to adopt a policy of economic nationalism., An international perspective is still necessary, but this does not mean we should trade our resources below price for temporary advantages received in the way of loans. — Yours, etc., PATRICK NEARY. June 18, 1975.