Southland launches petition as part of fairness campaign to save Tiwai Aluminium Smelter

As per the plan, Southlanders have reportedly launched a petition as part of the fight for saving the Tiwai Aluminium Smelter and getting a fair operating environment.

According to the report, the Southland Chamber of Commerce launched the online petition at 4 pm on Wednesday and already received 736 signatures.

Chamber chief executive Sheree Carey said the petition was one of the ways to make the government aware of the frustration and anger of the Southlanders about uncompetitive power costs of nearly $200 million charged over the smelter in the last 10 years, resulting in weighing down the smelter.

The Tiwai Aluminium Smelter was a producer of the highest purity and lowest carbon aluminium in the world, accounting for 6.5 per cent of Southland’s GDP and export revenue of around $1 billion a year.

Carey confirmed many businesses around Southland also offered cash for the fight for fairness campaign.

“The campaign and petition enabled the Southland community to have a voice and be counted,” she said.

Smelter boss Stew Hamilton also pointed out the financial downturn of the smelter. But the owner Rio Tinto made no decision yet about its future. However, it is reviewing all options, including closure, citing low aluminium prices and high energy costs as threats to its ongoing viability.

The report states, no decision on the smelter’s future is expected until February or March 2020.