1. Presentation by Gore District Mayor Tracy Hicks Regional Impacts – Southland Lignite

2.  Oysters  Friendly people  Strong agricultural sector  Trout fishing  Burt Munro Rally  Spectacular scenery  Southern Institute of Technology  Tiwai Aluminium Smelter

3.  New Zealand’s capital of brown trout fishing and country music HOME OF …  NZ Gold Guitar Awards  Eastern Southland Gallery ( nicknamed the Goreggenheim)  Hokonui Fashion Design Awards  Southern Field Days  Hokonui Moonshiners Festival  All Blacks Jimmy Cowan & Justin Marshall

4.  Population approx 90,000 (2.3% of NZ)  Only 2.6 people per km ² (15 people nationally)  Land area 3,035,577 ha (12.0% of New Zealand land area)  Three local authorities/one regional council  Declining and ageing population  Shift in farming sector from sheep/beef to dairying

5.  NOW  3 billion tonnes recoverable lignite in the Gore District (coalnz.com)  Solid Energy main stakeholder  New Vale coal mine – output 250,000 tonnes pa  Soon-to-be-commissioned $25m briquetting plant  Plant to produce 90,000 tonnes of briquettes from 150,000 tonnes of lignite

6. Coal to fertiliser plant Output: 1.2million tonnes urea pa (initial investigations but Solid Energy now considering other plant sizes) Cost: $NZ1.5 billion Jobs: Construction 1000 plus over 2/3 years Plant 250 Mine 250 Location: Decision at the end of 2012 at the earliest

7. Coal to Liquid Fuels  Input/output: Unknown  Cost: $NZ10 billion plus  Jobs: Construction 4000 over 3/4 years Plant 600 Mine 600  Commercial plant potentially operating by 2019-2020

8.  Local, regional & national  Potential impacts on air quality, water, ecology, traffic, noise  Local authorities will have RMA and community advocacy roles  Challenge will be how they balance these roles  Recognise growth brings social change  Maximise benefits while minimising impacts

9. Population growth - how will it affect  Our medical services  Our schools  Our recreational facilities  Our safe communities  Our municipal infrastructure Development but not at any cost

10.  Where will the people live?  Where do we build new houses?  Do we have enough water for them?  Is there enough electricity?  Will there be an increase in tourism?  Will the pool be crowded?  Will McDonalds get crowded?

11.  Doctors  Dentists  Emergency service personal  Police  Schools  Playgrounds  Recreation facilities  Restaurants

12. Prepare - be proactive not reactive GDC has commissioned background studies on  Social and economic framework  Transport model  Urban infrastructure  Landscape  Framework to assess ecological values Next Step: A District Growth Strategy