Independent State of Aramoana

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Independent State of Aramoana
Flag	Insignia
Motto: none Musical Anthem: none
Location:	Aramoana, New Zealand
Co-ordinates:	45°47′S 170°42′E
Area:	? km2
Capital:	Aramoana
Membership:	?
Date of foundation:	23 December 1980
Leadership:	?
Organisational structure:	Republic
Language:	English
Currency:	New Zealand Dollar

The Independent State of Aramoana was a micronation that existed in New Zealand during the early 1980s. It was founded in opposition to a plan by a consortium composed of New Zealand-based Fletcher Challenge, Australia's CSR Limited and Swiss firm Alusuisse to build a large aluminium smelting facility in an environmentally sensitive area known as Aramoana at the head of Otago Harbour, near Dunedin, on New Zealand's South Island^[1].

Stamps issued in 1981 by the Independent State of Aramoana

The smelter plan called for the destruction of the villages of Aramoana and Te Ngaru, and also threatened a local wildlife reserve. In response to this the residents of the area announced their secession from New Zealand on 23 December, 1980, established a "border post" and "travelling embassy", printed passports, citizenship certificates and postage stamps^[2], and set about using the resultant publicity to build a national grassroots campaign in opposition to the smelter.

The consortium was endorsed by the New Zealand Government^[3], which initially proposed to subsidise the cost of electricity required for the smelter's operation, leading to fears that the wider population of New Zealand would be faced with significant electricity price hikes in the longer term. However, the campaign waged by Aramoana and its supporters eventually forced a Government backdown, calling into question the economic viability of the project. This development combined with declining aluminium prices on world commodity markets, eventually led to the withrawal of Alusuisse from the consortium in October, 1981^[4]. The remaining partners failed to secure additional investment capital, and eventually abandoned the project, obviating the need for Aramoana's continued existence as an 'independent state'.

References

1. ↑ http://www.webcitation.org/5eklcV4DI
2. ↑ http://www.odt.co.nz/entertainment/arts/41092/art-seen-sculpture-garden?page=0%2C1
3. ↑ http://legislation.govt.nz/act/local/1981/0009/latest/whole.html#DLM75393
4. ↑ http://ir.canterbury.ac.nz/bitstream/10092/944/1/thesis_fulltext.pdf

External links

• The flag of Aramoana is mentioned here.

Gallery

View east across Otago Harbour and Aramoana.

Art installation incorporating the Aramoana flag.

Aramoana passport.