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So, National descends into the abyss to grapple in a dark and slimy pit - the political debate over mining our conservation estate and national parks.
The numbers - the raw materials if you like - are very attractive and offer a compelling case to get digging.
Simply take about 7,000 hectares of land - or 0.026% of New Zealand's total land mass - out from the shackles of Schedule 4 protection status and open it up for mining.
In fact, the land at stake is even more infinitesimal than that. A mere 550 hectares might actually be mined, which Energy Minister Gerry Brownlee helpfully explains is about the size of an average sheep and beef farm.
And for that scintilla of sacrifice a bounty of booty is bestowed. For once, there is an economic silver bullet - and some gold and coal to boot. Brownlee estimates that there could be as much as $60 billion worth of minerals in the tiny amount of turf to be prospected.
Now, $60 billion is about the amount of money the government spends on everything - health, education, welfare, the lot - every year.
All that gain for digging up a pathetic portion of the country. Again Brownlee has a helpful analogy: It would be like putting a post card on Eden Park.
But there's a problem, perhaps best illustrated by twisting Brownlee's analogy. No visitor to Eden Park would give the post card on the turf a second glance. But hold a post card in front of a rugby fan's face during the game and they'll get pretty angry. The point is, no one wants something which will ruin their view.
This is not only about angry environmentalists who think hygiene is a political issue. Worryingly for National, among the first out of the blocks was one of their own, or in fact two of their own, if you count the former National Cabinet Minister John Banks.
Auckland Central MP Nikki Kaye, showing all the good instincts of an electorate MP but perhaps not a Cabinet aspirant, has told Key to naff off if he thinks he can dig up Great Barrier Island without a fight. Banks, sensing the public mood as Auckland gears up to elect its first Super Mayor, has pulled his underpants on over his trousers and pumped himself up as an environmental superhero keeping the bulldozers at bay.
If a young, conservative woman and a middle aged male businessman/politician are the initial opponents of more mining, then what are the lefties and hippies eventually going to make of all this?
And yes, there will be plenty of people on the other side of this argument, too.
The dollar sums being talked about here are eye wateringly large. That means more jobs and, as Brownlee said on Monday in pleading his case for more mining, money isn't something New Zealand is blessed with right now.
Modern mining techniques, we are told, inflict less environmental damage than the old style, open cast mines.
So, many New Zealanders will strongly support more mining.
But that only shapens the political divide over this issue.
The consultation period is a short one - only until May 4 and too short in my view - but it's going to be a lively six weeks.
Read more of Guyon Espiner's blogs .
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 :)