Save Aramoana Campaign
Encyclopedia
The Save Aramoana Campaign was formed in 1974 to oppose a proposed aluminium smelter at Aramoana
in New Zealand
.
In the late 1970s Aramoana was proposed as the site of a major aluminium
smelter by a consortium of New Zealand-based Fletcher-Challenge, Australia's CSR Limited
and Swiss firm Alusuisse. An aluminium smelter was already operating at Tiwai Point
when the smelter at Aramoana was proposed.
s of Aramoana and Te Ngaru, and also threatened a local wildlife reserve. In response to this the residents of the area duly announced their secession from New Zealand on 23 December, 1980, established a "border post" and "travelling embassy", printed passport
s, citizenship certificates and stamps
, and set about using the resultant publicity to build a national grassroots
campaign in opposition to the smelter. The campaign attracted the attention of artists such as Ralph Hotere
.
The consortium was endorsed by the New Zealand Government, which initially proposed to subsidise the cost of electricity required for the smelter's operation, leading to fears that the wider population of New Zealand would be faced with significant electricity
price hikes in the longer term. However, the campaign waged by Aramoana and its supporters eventually forced a government backdown, calling into question the economic viability of the project.
This development combined with declining aluminium prices on world commodity markets, eventually led to the withdrawal of Alusuisse from the consortium in October, 1981. The remaining partners failed to secure additional investment capital, and eventually abandoned the project, paving the way for the peaceful reintegration of the Independent State of Aramoana back into New Zealand. The proposal is still remembered as a divisive issue.
Aramoana
Aramoana, also known as "The Spit" to locals, is a small coastal settlement, 27 kilometres north of Dunedin city, in the South Island of New Zealand. The settlement's permanent population in 2001 Census was 261. Supplementing this are seasonal visitors from the city who occupy cribs...
in New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
.
In the late 1970s Aramoana was proposed as the site of a major aluminium
Aluminium
Aluminium or aluminum is a silvery white member of the boron group of chemical elements. It has the symbol Al, and its atomic number is 13. It is not soluble in water under normal circumstances....
smelter by a consortium of New Zealand-based Fletcher-Challenge, Australia's CSR Limited
CSR Limited
CSR Limited is a major Australian industrial company, producing aluminium and building products. It is publicly traded on the Australian Securities Exchange. In 2009, it has approximately 10,000 employees and during a period of a major cyclical downturn the company made an after-tax profit of...
and Swiss firm Alusuisse. An aluminium smelter was already operating at Tiwai Point
Tiwai Point
thumb|[[Awarua Plain]] , Tiwai Point and [[Bluff, New Zealand|Bluff]] viewed from the [[International Space Station]] in 2008.Tiwai Point lies at the entrance to Bluff Harbour on the southern coast of the South Island of New Zealand...
when the smelter at Aramoana was proposed.
Independent State of Aramoana
The smelter plan called for the destruction of the villageVillage
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
s of Aramoana and Te Ngaru, and also threatened a local wildlife reserve. In response to this the residents of the area duly announced their secession from New Zealand on 23 December, 1980, established a "border post" and "travelling embassy", printed passport
Passport
A passport is a document, issued by a national government, which certifies, for the purpose of international travel, the identity and nationality of its holder. The elements of identity are name, date of birth, sex, and place of birth....
s, citizenship certificates and stamps
Postage stamp
A postage stamp is a small piece of paper that is purchased and displayed on an item of mail as evidence of payment of postage. Typically, stamps are made from special paper, with a national designation and denomination on the face, and a gum adhesive on the reverse side...
, and set about using the resultant publicity to build a national grassroots
Grassroots
A grassroots movement is one driven by the politics of a community. The term implies that the creation of the movement and the group supporting it are natural and spontaneous, highlighting the differences between this and a movement that is orchestrated by traditional power structures...
campaign in opposition to the smelter. The campaign attracted the attention of artists such as Ralph Hotere
Ralph Hotere
Hone Papita Raukura "Ralph" Hotere is a New Zealand artist of Māori descent . He was born in Mitimiti, Northland and He is widely regarded as one of New Zealand's most important living artists...
.
The consortium was endorsed by the New Zealand Government, which initially proposed to subsidise the cost of electricity required for the smelter's operation, leading to fears that the wider population of New Zealand would be faced with significant electricity
Electricity
Electricity is a general term encompassing a variety of phenomena resulting from the presence and flow of electric charge. These include many easily recognizable phenomena, such as lightning, static electricity, and the flow of electrical current in an electrical wire...
price hikes in the longer term. However, the campaign waged by Aramoana and its supporters eventually forced a government backdown, calling into question the economic viability of the project.
This development combined with declining aluminium prices on world commodity markets, eventually led to the withdrawal of Alusuisse from the consortium in October, 1981. The remaining partners failed to secure additional investment capital, and eventually abandoned the project, paving the way for the peaceful reintegration of the Independent State of Aramoana back into New Zealand. The proposal is still remembered as a divisive issue.