I am looking for a 2precious2mine campaign, but cannot find this on the website.
Mining makes no economic sense in the long term.
It is short term gain only and robs future generations of precious resources.
At stake are landscapes, biodiversity, water quality, whole ecosystem.
Forest & Bird » Terrestrial
Mining
(54 posts)-
Posted 2 years ago #
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Hi Mary, are you looking for information on Forest & Bird's 2precious2mine campaign? If so, there are details here:
I totally agree with you. The products of mining don't last forever and when all the goods are gone and the mining companies have liquidated and abandoned their mines, all you will have is a dramatically reduced tourism revenue, a fat clean-up bill and a landscape that will look like a scene from Mad Max.
Posted 2 years ago # -
Hi Mary and Emma-Kate
The bottom of this page http://www.forestandbird.org.nz/saving-our-environment/mining-q has a few ideas about what we can do, and I also see in the latest F&B magazine they say a discussion doco on the review of mining of Schedule 4 Land (conservation land excluded from mining) is due to be published this month (Feb) and that this doco will be open for public submission. They say "you can help by making a submission" and F&B will also be making a big one itself I guess.Posted 2 years ago # -
There was a good piece in the Herald today about this -
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10625253
"Last century's solution to this century's problems" - I like it. Frankly, I thought we were done with mining. No doubt all the gold nuggets have been found?
In terms of revenue how does it work? Do we get a flat-fee for allowing mining companies to mine, or is it a percentage share of the profit.
Key may end up red faced if these mining companies yield nothing. I suppose by then he'd be well out of office by then......
Posted 2 years ago # -
Also this:
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/3309721/Outrage-as-Key-signals-national-park-mining
Check out the mining opinion poll results too...not good.
Posted 2 years ago # -
"Last century's solution to this century's problems"
this could have been better expressed - I don't actually think F&B's position is that removal of protection and subsequent mining on conservation land was a solution last century. it was the source of a lot of problems for the environment and for human health, some of which persist.
it never was a solution, and never will be a solution.
Posted 2 years ago # -
And here's another poll which shows similarly not good results so far...http://post.polls.yahoo.com/quiz/quizresults.php?poll_id=51931
Posted 2 years ago # -
all these polls tell you is that most people attached to the web for most of the day are out of touch with reality. we didn't need a poll to tell us that. Ask Fairfax to rerun the poll targeting
1/ tourists who account for 20% of GDP and who knows what proportion of employment
2/ a representative cross section of New Zealanders
3/ people that have actually seen the biting reality of mines
and I think you'll get a rather different answer than these quick and biased results from various sources posted today.
exciting times ahead, its going to be fun watching the 'it's all MINE' government get kicked for touch on this one!
Posted 2 years ago # -
Obviously these polls don't ever represent a fair cross-section of the public, but if it is indeed a poll populated by people on news sites for a majority of the day (city-dwellers/office workers?) then the very least it does is show how easy it has been for the government to influence your 'average joe' with empty buzz about economic growth and misinform them into believing that land and ecosystems can magically be rebuilt to its former state.
The idea of creating a conservation fund from the royalties of mining is laughable too. Pillage the land and donate a percentage of its worth to protecting other land that you will eventually try and pillage too!
Posted 1 year ago # -
There is no such thing as adequate environmental safeguards when it comes to mining in sensitive areas. Review mining activities in other countries to see what is damaged and what remains after "clean-up". Damaging sensitive areas (and the costs of cleanup after companies refuse or ignore their responsibilities) with this activity and damaging the economic engine of tourism is not solid economic policy. Also, web-based opinion counters are not polls - they reflect only the opinions of interested parties. The news media should continue to acknowledge this and not report them polling of the public - they are not. Informed citizens should take the time to respond to these polls as they can be easily manipulated by business interests who will benefit from these changes. Yes, let's see a real poll on this issue. When will F & B update its website to alert people of the seriousness of this proposal?
Posted 1 year ago # -
What sort of update would be most helpful?
Posted 1 year ago # -
Hi
Although there is a facebook page against the mining, it's a Green Party page which could potentially put people off. It's also quite hard to find... Has F&B thought of starting their own page? If you do, can we please have a name based on positive action - eg keep national parks safe from mining?
I know there are loads of kiwis overseas who don't know enough about what's going on with politics in this country & facebook is a great way to make sure they find out.
Thx
LisaPosted 1 year ago # -
. Thanks. In the interim, here's a bit from the latest news from Central Office of F&B. It's about F&B now being on Facebook and Twitter:
Forest & Bird has launched itself on the social networking scene with a Facebook page.
The page will be regularly updated by members of the communications teams, and will link to blogs, media releases, new web pages and photo slideshows.
If you would like to become a fan of Forest & Bird on Facebook, please go to http://www.facebook.com/ForestandBird?ref=ts
You can also follow Forest & Bird on Twitter at
www.twitter.com/forest_and_bird
I guess there's a call for a page specifically about the mining issue though?
Stay tuned...8-)Posted 1 year ago # -
Yeah, we have considered creating a facebook page for this, but considering the greens have over 4,000 members, we felt our energies would be better directed by adding updates to their wall on what we're doing.
The problem with facebook is that there are so sub groups - I found four groups that relate to mining in New Zealand. We have limited time and resources, so we;re best off directing our energies at the largest possible interested group, rather than creating splinter groups. Hope that answers your question!
Posted 1 year ago # -
Now that's more like it..http://post.polls.yahoo.com/quiz/quizresults.php?poll_id=51931
Considering the poll results of just a few days ago (the ones mentioned above on this thread) there were way more people supported mining than those who didn't. Thanks to people for bringing them to our attention so we could try to do something about how genuinely they reflected public opinion.
Posted 1 year ago # -
http://post.polls.yahoo.com/quiz/quizresults.php?poll_id=51931
Try again for a link...Posted 1 year ago # -
Just found this from the F&B Facebook site..http://www.givealittle.co.nz/cause/2precious2mine
Posted 1 year ago # -
Posted 1 year ago #
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Helen Clark has her say.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/3352006/Clark-speaks-out-on-park-mining-plans
Posted 1 year ago # -
Thanks for the reference Kukupa.
It is worth repeating the excerpt from Helen Clark's comments carried in www.stuff.co.nz .
......... Miss Clark said she remained a close observer of New Zealand politics and it had been hard at times to stand back from some of the decisions being made.
The National Government's decision to open up conservation land for mining earned her harshest criticism. "I can think of plenty of things [that have been hard to watch], but that is core value."
Allowing mining in a national park went against every thing she stood for. "National parks are for future generations, preserving ecosystems. Some things you have to put above money." ..................
Posted 1 year ago # -
The debate continues....This is from today's Herald http://www.nzherald.co.nz/environment/news/article.cfm?c_id=39&objectid=10630166&pnum=0
Posted 1 year ago # -
Aha, and Brownlee has admitted that it won't be all 'surgical mining' as Key originally suggested...
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/politics/news/article.cfm?c_id=280&objectid=10630265
Posted 1 year ago # -
Read this article from Otago Daily Times today http://www.odt.co.nz/lifestyle/magazine/97329/her-voice-against-mines?page=0,0
What can I say? DoC's loss is definitely F&B and the environment's gain?!!
Welcome to F&B Nic...
Posted 1 year ago # -
Have a look at Forest & Bird's media release this evening about where the Government plans to mine. It does not make for happy reading.
http://www.forestandbird.org.nz/what-we-do/publications/media-releases/forest-bird-reveals-government-mining-plansPosted 1 year ago # -
Nice piece in today's Herald which focuses on the threat to Thames -
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/environment/news/article.cfm?c_id=39&objectid=10632125
Posted 1 year ago # -
Mr Key seems miffed that the govt hasn't got a monoploy on "scaremongering tactics"
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/environment/news/article.cfm?c_id=39&objectid=10632159&pnum=0Posted 1 year ago # -
Thought everyone might like to see Key's latest plans to market New Zealand tourism in accordance with the proposed new mining policy:
Posted 1 year ago # -
What a craven interview by Paul Henry with PM John Key on TV1 breakfast at 7.15am this morning 15 March
"I am not an environmentalist" said Henry as both he and John Key accused Forest and Bird of scaremongering.
Fobbed off by bland assurances by PM Key, Henry's interview left the distinct impression that Forest and Bird was wrong to reveal that the Government report proposes opening up 7,000 hectares of precious conservation land to mining.
You wouldn't feel that way if you lived in the Coromandel, the Nelson boundary of the Kahurangi National Park or the West Coast's Grey and Inangahua Valleys next to the Paparoa National Park. There you face the the prospect of an open cast mine on your doorstep.
Good on Forest and Bird for making this issue public before the Government presents us with a fait accompli in a signed off decision by Cabinet.
Posted 1 year ago # -
Forest and Bird Advocate Kevin Hackwell used some interesting statistics on TV1 this morning (15 March). I wonder if he or someone from F&B can repeat them to help guide us.
Apparently only 40% of NZ's total area of public conservation land, (the 100% total comprises our National Parks, Reserves, conservation parks and other conservation land), is included in the Schedule 4 of the Conservation Act that protects this core 40% from mining. This core 40% is the most precious and the most highly protected areas in the country. It includes our National Parks and very special areas such as ecological reserves.
The other 60% of the public conservation lands is already open to mining and that is where there are already a range of mining licences and operations especially on the West Coast.
You'd have to ask then if this isn't a reflection of the total greed of the mining industry, Ministry of Economic Development, the National and ACT, Maori party and United Future MPs constituting the Government and all those that believe that rip, sh.. and bust is the way forward for the New Zealand economy. They clearly resent the democratic decision by previous generations to give the highest protection to the core 40% of the most special conservation places and they want to get their hands on the conservation crown jewels.
It reminds me of the greedy little lambs in our fields. These lambs can be surrounded on their side of the fence by heaps of grass and clover to eat. Despite this they still push through a good fence, braving the wires and even electricity, determined to get the grass on the other side of the fence....I suppose because they always think that it is just a little bit greener. Such behaviour might forgiveable for an inexperienced little lamb but is certainly not excusable for a Cabinet Minister.
Posted 1 year ago #
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