7 May 2015

Bad news will hit West Coast communities hard

The Buller community will be relieved that the Stockton Mine will continue to be operated by Solid Energy following today’s restructuring announcement, Labour’s MP for West Coast-Tasman Damien O’Connor says.

“My thoughts go out to the 113 miners who will lose their jobs.

“These people have, in some cases, left other careers to commit their lives to the West Coast and now face the prospect of having to start again.

“My sympathy also goes to those miners who have been maintaining the Spring Creek mine but could now be made redundant.

“The West Coast has been hit hard by a company that was set up for sale by the National Government, squeezed for dividends and left unsustainable because it didn’t anticipate falling coal prices.

“Numerous mistakes have been made at governance and management levels by a company that lost touch with its core mining operations.

“I am absolutely committed to working with local community leaders – and wherever possible Government Ministers– to create alternate job opportunities and keep families in the Buller,” Damien O’Connor says.

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