-
-
Watch Video
-
Related
Conservation group Forest and Bird has rubbished the government's claims that its proposal to open 7,000 hectares of conservation land to mining will create jobs and improve New Zealand's economic performance.
Energy and Resources Minister Gerry Brownlee went head-to-head with Forest and Bird's Kevin Hackwell on TV One's Close Up on Monday night, accusing the conservationist of scaremongering
Hackwell accused Brownlee of ignoring historical statistics, which he says show mining does not necessarily bring prosperity.
"The government is busy trying to back the mining industry at the moment and thinks it's going to lead us to some kind of economic bliss. Yet, in 2006, the mineral sector managed to lose $236 million before tax. That was a loss of over $50,000 per job. This is hardly an industry that we can rely on."
Hackwell said the tourism industry would also lose out under the plan.
"Tourism is going to be threatened by this because it's our brand: New Zealand: 100% pure. So the government is really pushing a bet on a horse that we really shouldn't be chasing."
Brownlee accused Hackwell of scaremongering and said New Zealand's economy is in glaring need of a stronger exports market.
"I think some of the dire predictions he's making about the consequences of mining in New Zealand are scaremongering ... New Zealand is a country that's had declining exports for five years and rising government expenditure over that time.
"If we want to continue with the lifestyle we've got, if we want to raise incomes, we have to do something about the income side of the ledger and this is one of many measures that we're proposing."
Brownlee says estimates put the country's unmined mineral wealth
at around $194 billion, 40% of which is thought to be in schedule
four, or premium conservation value, land. He says the proposal
affects 0.2% of schedule four land.
The plan also proposes conferring protected status on more than 12,000 hectares.
Brownlee argued that 7,000 hectares proposed for mining was not a large amount of land.
"It's a bit like a postcard on Eden Park. It's not a Draconian move at all, it's quite a sensible one."
However, Hackwell said 7,000 hectares would only be the start.
"He's [Brownlee] talking about the 7,000 hectares that should be taken out, but he wants to look at another half a million hectares, which in the next year he might well take out as well. That's about a seventh of all our national parks. This is hardly a small area they're really looking at."
Brownlee said the government has been open about its plans to survey more land for mining.
"We're being quite open about the fact that we do want to do more aero-magnetic surveying of some parts of New Zealand. There's nothing hidden or behind-the-scenes about that.
"We're talking about having a look to see what's there, it's not about turning the whole country into a mine."
What do you think about the government's plans? Have your say on the messageboard below.
Latest NZ News Video
-
ONE News Minute 9am update: May 26 (1:00)
-
Kids cough up $14m for Government (1:50)
-
Education ministry 'barbaric' (1:55)
Add a Comment:
Post new commentmenacerec said on 2010-07-24 @ 00:53 NZDT: Report abusive post
John needs the boot... not just for this either.
menacerec said on 2010-07-24 @ 00:49 NZDT: Report abusive post
No hawthorne, what National have done is gone back on multiple significant election promises. Their economic policies have already shown to correlate with increases in income inequality. They are increasing our debt in order to give the upper 5% of earners the greatest tax cuts, although 75% of the population is hardly left with enough to live on. They are further cutting the rights of workers in favour of big businesses, their true agenda is quite clear.
irwin said on 2010-07-21 @ 11:05 NZDT: Report abusive post
The protest actions taken by my fellow NZers and the governments decision not to proceed with the mining on DOC land makes me very proud to be a Kiwi. This is democracy at its finest and those people who say the government should never investigated it in the first place have lost the plot. The people have spoken and the government has listened. Great.
ukustarmitch said on 2010-07-21 @ 10:01 NZDT: Report abusive post
HAHAHA this is too funny. How dare they consider destroying our beautiful landscape! National, you did the right thing, but don't expect me to vote for you in next years election
SantaCruz66 said on 2010-07-21 @ 08:54 NZDT: Report abusive post
Simply a matter of matter that Gerry doesn't want to mine what he can't walk around. 50k kiwis marched because Gerry et al missed the point. Good democracy for sure but political ineptitude and appalling stewardship - all Gerry had to do was announce it the conference and he would have been fine :)