50 protectors disrupted & locked themselves to the railway tracks at the Dunedin Railway station today stopping the daily coal train running from Bathurst Resources’ Takitimu mine in Southland to Fonterra’s Clandeboye milk factory in Temuka.

There are 20 people locked to the tracks, people playing music and members of the public.

They’re made up of members from the Coal Action Network Aotearoa, Environmental Justice Ōtepoti and Extinction Rebellion Ōtepoti Dunedin, Otago Extinction Rebellion Ōtautahi Christchurch Extinction Rebellion Waihōpai Invercargill

Coal Action Network protester Michael Dumbar, who is a Southland farmer, said Fonterra purchases the majority of its coal from Bathurst Resources to dry milk powder for export.

“Fonterra are driving the demand for further coal expansion, desecrating the Whenua.”

“Bathurst’s plan to expand the Southland Takitimu mine for another 30 years, demonstrates Fonterra are deceiving & delaying their supposed plan to phase out coal. If it wasn’t for Fonterra, Bathurst Coal Mines could shut down forever.”

He said “New Zealand faces exclusion from UN Climate Discussions for our inadequate action over ever increasing CO2 emissions.”

“Scientists state coal must be phased out worldwide by 2030 in order to keep warming to the agreed Paris Agreement’s warming limit of 1.5 degrees C.”

“Last year Dunedin City Council declared a climate emergency and aims to be net zero emissions by 2030.”

The emissions from the coal on this train is the same as putting 2,500 extra cars on the road every single day.