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The government has extended the deadline for submissions on its proposal to open more conservation land to mining, while it consults with Maori.
New Zealanders now have an extra three weeks to have their say on the proposal with the deadline for submissions extended from next Tuesday, to May 26.
Energy and Resources Minister Gerry Brownlee and Conservation Minister Kate Wilkinson have made a joint announcement about the extension.
Brownlee says ministers have agreed that in the interests of fairness the submission period should be extended while the government completes the stakeholder engagement process.
"Cabinet agreed hui would be held with iwi significantly affected by the government's proposals. These meetings will be held in early May.
"It is important that iwi have an opportunity to provide written submissions after the hui, so we have decided to extend the dates for all submissions to 26 May," Brownlee says.
Wilkinson says there has been considerable public interest in the government's proposals, and the extension will provide an opportunity for those who have not yet made submissions to do so.
She says the Ministry of Economic Development has received over 14,000 submissions to date.
"All will be considered over the coming months, before final recommendations are made to Cabinet later in the year."
Parliament's Commissioner for the Environment, Jan Wright, this week said the government's argument for more prospecting on conservation land does not stack up.
In a written submission, Wright said the government must first prove the economic benefits of opening up more protected land to mining, as well as justify the risk to the landscape and threatened species beyond a "reasonable doubt".
She said the evidence gathered so far "does not meet this test", and is "vague and rudimentary".
The discussion document and information on the submission process is available at the Ministry of Economic Development website.
