-
-
Related
An environmental lobby group says there is no point in the government opening parts of Great Barrier Island to mining, because it would contravene the district plan.
"Mining on Great Barrier Island - and in fact on all of the islands of the (Hauraki) Gulf - is a prohibited activity in Auckland City Council's district plan," Environmental Defence Society (EDS) chairman Gary Taylor said.
"A mining company is not able to apply for resource consents to mine."
Prime Minister John Key says a review of a ban on mining "schedule 4 land" held within the conservation estate was widened last month.
Energy Minister Gerry Brownlee has said such land - the highest-value third of the land in the conservation estate - could contain minerals worth $140 billion, and Forest and Bird has said 7000ha of land will be opened up to mining, including parts of Great Barrier Island.
But EDS says that to gain a resource consent, a company wanting to re-start silver mining on the island would have to introduce a private plan change, which would meet considerable opposition from thousands of Aucklanders.
Prospecting was not prohibited, but a mining company was not likely to invest in that if the RMA hurdles remained, says Taylor.
