Opinion
With the announcement this week that Rio Tinto is carrying out a strategic review of the Tiwai smelter I have read a lot of misleading and in many cases downright untrue information on social media and news outlets as people and organisations push their own agendas.
A few FACTS for consideration:
- NZAS spends around NZ$450 million in New Zealand every year. Most of this goes to Meridian but many millions of dollars are spent with local and national suppliers. That’s you and your employers.
- Around NZ$65M per year is paid in transmission costs. Without the smelter the Government will gather this shortfall from you and your employers because someone has to pay for the upkeep of the grid.
There is no doubt that if Tiwai were to close another smelter would be opened in China to replace the lost production in the matter of a few months. The environmental consequence of that move is massive as the aluminium would be produced using electricity generated from coal, with it major carbon dioxide emissions, rather than the hydroelectric power used at Tiwai. The hydro generation creates virtually zero carbon dioxide emissions.
In conclusion, closing Tiwai is bad for the people who work there, bad for the people and businesses that supply the smelter, bad for other NZ electricity consumers, and bad for the environment. It’s just dumb!
Show your support for Tiwai. Put people right when you hear them telling untruths about Tiwai. Tell your politicians that you want Tiwai to stay open.
STAND UP FOR TIWAI!
Sign the SAVE TIWAI, SAVE SOUTHLAND Petition HERE!
PS: Please note that although I work at Tiwai, and am proud to do so, these are my views and opinions not the company’s. Darren Campbell