UPDATE: The fight is not over and we need your help!
Since we launched our petition to #SaveFouldenMaar from being mined, we have been overwhelmed with support.
Last week, Dunedin City Council successfully passed a motion to recognise the significance of the fossil record at Foulden Maar and to support its urgent preservation as a scientific resource. The motion was put forward by Councillor Aaron Hawkins and was passed 11:2, with Councillors Lee Vandervis and Mike Lord not supporting the motion, and Cr David Benson-Pope abstaining.
This is great news, as it means the Council could take action to protect Foulden Maar. Already, its staff are investigating whether the second generation district plan can be changed to make Foulden Maar an outstanding natural feature, which would protect it under the Resource Management Act (RMA). It also means the Council may withdraw their letter of support to the Overseas Investment Office (which we wrote to Mayor Dave Cull about) or submit their resolution so their opposition is made clear.
But the fight is not over yet, and we still need your help.
Our goal is to reach 10,000 signatures that we will submit to the Overseas Investment Office as evidence of public opposition to Plaman Resources’ application to purchase land.
Will you help us by sharing the petition with your friends and whānau?
You can also download and print the petition along with a form to collect signatures.
Public Talk on the Fantastic Fossils of Foulden Maar
A public talk by geologist Professor Daphne Lee about the fantastic fossils of Foulden Maar is being held on Saturday 15 June at 1 pm, at the Strath Taieri Community Hall in Middlemarch. All are welcome and we encourage our supporters to attend what will be an insightful and inspiring talk on our geological heritage.
For those who can’t make it, we hope to provide a video or live-stream on our Facebook page. We are also looking to organise a public event about Foulden Maar in Dunedin the following week.
Write a letter to the editor
Another way you can show your support for our campaign, is by sending a letter to the editor of your local newspaper. This may be published, giving the issue more exposure to others in the community and makes the newspaper more likely to dedicate space in upcoming issues to cover the Foulden Maar issue.
You will find a report on the destruction of Foulden Maar, a collection of news articles on our website to help inform your letter. You may also like to use the newly created Wikipedia page for Foulden Maar, which now features nearly 50 references.
Again, thank you for your support. We are so grateful to you all.
Ngā mihi nui,
The team at #SaveFouldenMaar
P.S. You can stay up to date with our campaign on Facebook and Twitter or email us on [email protected].