Landowners deny access to drilling

Press, 21 July 1986, Page 11

Landowners deny access to drilling

PA Hamilton Rotongaro landowners wanting a better land purchase deal from State Coal are denying access to test drilling for coal on their farms, the "Waikato Times” reported. State Coal’s plans to introduce new longwall mining at the Huntly west mine from 1988 is expected to cause land slumping over about 2000 ha.

Under its compensation policy, State Coal aims to buy as little land as possible above new mining areas down the Huntly west mine. Land or buildings will have to be physically affected by mining before State Coal

will buy. Residents in the Rotongaro basin between lakes Waahi and Rotongaro say they feel no genuine attention is being paid to their calls for a fair deal. The Pukemiro mining development committee chairman, Mr lan Kimpton, said two Cabinet Ministers had visited the area since February, but neither had shown the courtesy of meeting residents.

_ “we are just fed up with not knowing what’s happening,” said Mrs Belmai Hohneck. She and her husband have denied drilling access with two neighbouring farming families. She said that before

May, State Coal was talking of buying farms, but now it would buy only if land was damaged. “With corporatisation, State Coal’s attitude changed, so our tactics have changed too,” she said.

The State Coal land and property officer, Mr Barry Quayle, said State Coal was willing to talk with landowners about the compensation policy. A meeting was planned when the Huntly west mine manager, Mr Peter Mclnally, returned from England in two weeks. Meanwhile, State Coal would not use “muscle” to go on to the farms to test drill, he said.