Dr Fletcher-Flinn, a retired psychologist, understands the gravity of the word, using it to capture the emotional and cognitive impacts suffered by herself and her partner, Prof Geoff Kearsley, following the initial ‘‘shock and awe’’ of learning of Santana Minerals plan to mine the area behind their home.
Speaking at a hearing on the Bendigo-Ophir Gold Project in Cromwell, Dr Fletcher-Flinn said ‘‘the last 18 months have been very, very stressful, so I wanted to put forward the human cost of the mine on the people who have been directly affected.
‘‘Other people have spoken ... all have very legitimate concerns, but they won’t live with it.
‘‘If the mine goes through, we’ll still have to be there.
‘‘No-one will buy our property,’’ Dr Fletcher-Flinn said.
The couple bought their property in the foothills of the Dunstan Mountains 12 years ago, intending to run a small farm and bed and breakfast on the rural site, before downsizing as they aged.
Consent for the mine has not yet been granted, but their experience of the rural idyll has changed drastically as early mining activities have damaged fencing on their property, compromised the viability of their bed and breakfast, and turned their country road into a vital artery for heavy diesel trucks making their way to the site.
In addition to the emotional and cognitive factors, the proposed mine has come with a significant economic cost.
Prof Kearsley founded the University of Otago department of tourism and is keenly aware of the impact of the mine on their property.
The farm’s olives, grapes and raspberries are spray-free, and are harvested purely by traditional methods, Prof Kearsley said.
Prof Kearsley said that guests of the bed and breakfast, which had been extremely successful, come ‘‘seeking peace and quiet, nature, history and scenery’’, with the region’s dark sky providing guests hailing from urban environments with their first glimpse of the Milky Way.
Prof Kearsley is well-versed in the bureaucratic wrangling that comes with development on this scale, having given evidence disputing the concerns of a heritage group that a cement plant proposed for the Waiareka Valley would damage tourism in an Environment Court hearing at Oamaru in 2009.
Asked about his position in the 2009 hearing in relation to this current position on the Santana Minerals project, Prof Kearsley replied that evidence he gave in 2009 was that the tourist values of the geological park in question were not affected because of its distance from the proposed development, and that the traffic generated would not be overwhelming, in contrast to the significant shift in traffic and its impacts experienced on Thomson Gorge Rd.
‘‘I think my position has been consistent on both,’’ Prof Kearsley said.
Speaking following the hearing, the couple said they wanted to simply put the episode behind them and walk away, but with mining activities ruining the value of their home they are stuck, powerless to prevent the mine, and unable to sell their home and start again.
At the hearing in Cromwell, the couple were asked whether there had been any discussion of compensation or reparation with Santana Minerals.
‘‘None,’’ Dr Fletcher-Flinn said. ‘‘None whatsoever.’’
