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Some of New Zealand's most precious and protected land may be opened up for mining.
Energy Minister Gerry Brownlee is reported to be looking to remove parts of the law that protect Department of Conservation parks, reserves and wildlife sanctuaries.
But he says while consideration might be given to low value DOC land being set aside for mining, high value conservation land will not be touched.
Brownlee says they are holding a stocktake of whether any DOC land, worth an estimated $140 billion, could be used.
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"There is a substantial amount of wealth potentially in the ground in some parts of the conservation estate. What we have further said is there are some parts of the conservation estate that do not have high conservation values, where the two meet maybe we should be taking the opportunity that's there," says Brownlee.
The admission has stunned conservation groups and Forest and Bird says it can't see any benefits to opening up protected land to mining with only 13% of the country's land currently set aside for the public.
"The conservation estate is in fact very important for New Zealand's economy," spokesman Kevin Hackwell says. "It's the basis of our $21 billion tourist industry and we shouldn't be threatening it."
Hackwell says Forest and Bird has been calling for the current restraints on mining to be strengthened, not weakened. And he says the government will have a fight on its hands if it decides to go down this path.
Hackwell says any money raised through a potential mine would not outweigh the income the land currently generates.
But Brownlee says the government needs to balance both economic and environmental values.
"Where conservation values win that's great, but if there is an economic value that would be good too," he says.
Mining on Department of Conservation land already happens at Pike River coal mine, near Greymouth. Roads weave through treasured forest but the mining is done underground.
The minister says we need to tap into more of these resources.
"The last government spent nine years explaining the gap between Australia and New Zealand as being due to their mineral wealth. What this country needs to know is that this country is similarly endowed," says Brownlee.
But Labour's conservation spokesman David Parker says he is stunned at the suggestion that national parks could be opened up to the mining of coal.
"He's not even talking about some rare mineral or diamonds or anything really high value like that, he's talking about dirty old lignite," says Parker.
"Coal and lignite are the cause of climate change. Each tonne of coal or lignite releases up to two tonnes of carbon into the atmosphere."
Parker says allowing increased mining in the DOC estate or in national parks is lunacy. And he questions why the National Party didn't tell New Zealand prior to the election that it was their intention to allow mining in New Zealand's conservation areas.
"This is a government that does not have a reputation for listening, but this issue is simply too important for them to bulldoze through without taking the proper time and care," says Parker.
The Green Party is also worried about the plans to investigate mineral resources in DOC land. Co-leader Metiria Turei is sceptical and says marine conservation alone is worth $100 million to New Zealand.
Brownlee won't say which areas are under consideration and he is stressing that it's just an idea he is floating - an idea conservation groups would like to sink.
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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 :)