History of activism celebrated

Local artists and activists Jane Davidson and Ian Bretherton stand in front of a protest sign dating from the anti-smelter movement in Aramoana; (inset, clockwise from top left) Residents and friends of Aramoana hold a meeting at the Aramoana Hall to air their feelings in September 1980; Two images of protest signs from 1980; Angela Baker (left), of Dunedin, and Sonja Antonsen, of Harwood, display their wares at the ‘‘Aramoana State Border’’ to raise funds for the Save Aramoana Campaign in January 1981. PHOTOS: SIMON HENDERSON AND ODT FILES

When it comes to battling corporations, it can often be the case that the one with the biggest wallet wins. But when protesters took on an international consortium wanting to open an aluminium smelter, the little guys won for a change.

The Star reporter Simon Henderson looks back at the struggle to keep Aramoana safe from big industry.

A series of community events this weekend will highlight the efforts of local activists.

‘‘Aramoana - Navigating the Anthropocene’’ will involve several events held at Pioneer Hall, in Port Chalmers, that recognise and celebrate the efforts to prevent an aluminium smelter being built at Aramoana.

Local artists and environmental activists Jane Davidson and Ian Bretherton have organised the events to highlight the many local people who battled to prevent construction of the smelter.

Ms Davidson said opposition began 50 years ago in 1974 when the smelter was first proposed for Aramoana.

The Save Aramoana Campaign was formed to oppose construction of the smelter.

‘‘They spent quite a few years being threatened with a smelter.

‘‘But 1980-81 was when it came to the crunch, that was when Muldoon’s ‘Think Big’ came through,’’ Ms Davison said.

The National government, led by Robert Muldoon, was launching large-scale industrial projects under that banner, and interest in building the aluminium smelter increased.

A consortium of companies, including New Zealand’s Fletcher-Challenge and Swiss firm Alusuisse, became involved in the project.

‘‘They came really close to buying out their houses and telling everyone they had to relocate out from Aramoana at that point,’’ she said.

Mr Bretherton said some of the proposals included creating train tracks all the way out to Aramoana as well as major road construction.

‘‘It would be like a highway out there, I imagine, for all the trucks to get [the aluminium] to the shipping.’’

The local population mobilised to strongly protest the smelter, coming up with innovative ways to highlight their campaign.

The smelter would have meant destruction of the local village of Aramoana, he said.

Ms Davidson said a group of local residents created the ‘‘Independent State of Aramoana’’, issuing passports and citizenship certificates. A roving embassy was established in a caravan that went on tour across the country.

Some of the key people involved in the protests included Claire Carey and Richard Thomson.

Prominent artists, including Ralph Hotere and Cilla McQueen, also got behind the protests.

The community response showed how passionately local people rejected the smelter proposal, which was finally abandoned in 1981.

Local people continued to fight through the court system to turn the area into a reserve until the 1990s when it became an ecological area managed by the Department of Conservation

One of the last enduring pieces of evidence of the protest is a sign saying ‘‘Aramoana Save’’ on the side of a farm building in Blueskin Rd.

Originally painted by local artist Rod Rust, also known as Dr Surf, the farm is now the site of Holy Cow, owned by Merrall and Alex MacNeille.

The MacNeilles knew about and supported its history, and even organised a group of school children to help refresh it, Ms Davidson said.

One of the aims of the event was to showcase a successful protest campaign for a younger generation interested in environmental causes and climate change, she said.

‘‘We’re making a link between protesting days in the ’80s and what’s happening now.’’