I'm not so sure if it's so much greed (on the part of the pollies involved at least) so much as giving the conservation "tree-huggers" the fingers. Very mature!! Mind you, I might just be giving them too much benefit of the doubt. It might well be simply unadulterated greed behind it all. Something tells me there's a fair bit of egotism and muscle-flexing and ignorance in there though!?
Forest & Bird » Terrestrial
Mining
(54 posts)-
Posted 1 year ago #
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I think that this extract from F&B's "Mining Q & A" http://www.forestandbird.org.nz/saving-our-environment/mining-q might answer your question about the % of conservation land already available to mining
Does mining take place on conservation land already?
Although a third of New Zealand’s land is in the conservation estate, it is not necessarily protected from mining. Land managed by the Department of Conservation is open to applications for mining permits, which require the consent of the Minister of Conservation. Consent has been granted for mining in many parts of the conservation estate, including some highly sensitive areas.
What is “Schedule 4?”
Schedule 4 of the Crown Minerals Act identifies conservation land, which, due to its high conservation values, should be excluded from the possibility of being mined. This land includes national parks, nature reserves and scientific reserves – land considered to be core conservation land. About 40% of the conservation estate (13% of New Zealand’s landmass) is in Schedule 4.
Recently Energy Minister Gerry Brownlee proposed a “stock take” of Schedule 4 land to see if it could be opened up for mining.
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Posted 1 year ago # -
Hi Everyone,
For those of you in Wellington area - a keen bunch have organised a protest event over lunch, 30 March.
Come and join!
Attachments
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MiningProtestEvent.jpg (89.2 KB, 0 downloads) 1 year old
Posted 1 year ago # -
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Good to see some response even if it took Doom and Gloom (is that what the Herald cartoon said F&B was today??)to get it
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/environment/news/article.cfm?c_id=39&objectid=10632290Posted 1 year ago # -
Another good article about the mining/no-mining issue, rather long but in easily-read language. And a wonderful picture of Mr Brownlee too http://gordoncampbell.scoop.co.nz/2010/03/16/gordon-campbell-the-economics-of-mining-doc-land/
Posted 1 year ago # -
Posted 1 year ago #
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Has everyone sent Key an anti-mining e-card yet? http://www.forestandbird.org.nz/our-national-parks-are-too-precious-mine
Or signed the anti-mining petition? (see F&B's Facebook page)
Or for the really keen ones who want to donate to the F&B anti-mining campaign https://secure.forestandbird.org.nz/shop/donations.asp
Posted 1 year ago # -
Mandy's put up a whole lot of new photos and information about prospective mines
http://www.forestandbird.org.nz/saving-our-environment/mining
Great, thanks Mandy.Posted 1 year ago # -
Nice piece by John Minto -
http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/blogs/frontline/3458018/Keep-mining-out-of-conservation-estate
Posted 1 year ago # -
A lot of what Garth George says I find differs from what I think, however there's a little piece of a recent article by him that I do agree with re especially this mining issue. You might either agree or disagree with what he says; I don't know about anyone else, but this whole shall we/shan't we dance re mining conservation land is confusing me!!;
"One minute we are told by Gerry Brownlee, the Minister for Economic Development and Minister of Energy and Resources, that national parks are to be opened up for development, the next minute Mr Key takes a couple of steps back and hints the proposal could be watered down."
A question I can't help but wonder though is whether Mr Key would've taken those few steps backwards if F&B hadn't alerted people so they could react as they have?
Posted 1 year ago # -
Mind you, I suppose that if I'd received hundreds of (if not a few thousand?) emails in opposition in just a few days, I'd probably stagger a few steps back too!!
Posted 1 year ago # -
On the news tonight there was an item about the govt getting a report about who in the Public Service is leaking their documents, like the mining discussion document that came to F&B. Now that seems like an admission to me that what F&B exposed might not have just been all about scaremongering and hysteria-making like we've been told!
Posted 1 year ago # -
The leakage witch-hunt:
http://www.3news.co.nz/Govt-orders-witch-hunt-over-leaked-papers-/tabid/419/articleID/147003/Default.aspxPosted 1 year ago # -
Great piece on Close-up featuring our advocates Mark Bellingham & Kevin Hackwell -
http://tvnz.co.nz/close-up/should-we-mine-our-national-parks-3421262/video
Posted 1 year ago # -
The editorial in today's (Sat) Herald is all about the govt's accusations of hysteria over suggestions that mining will occur in sensitive areas.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/environment/news/article.cfm?c_id=39&objectid=10633188It seems that Mr Key might have upset them by accusing the media of hysteria.
This quote from the Herald editorial; "Pretending something isn't being considered when it is and then trying to shut down debate betrays one known symptom of hysteria - selective amnesia."
Posted 1 year ago # -
Just the headline in today's Herald should be enough to cause hysteria.
"Govt opens up 7000 ha of conservation land to mining"
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=10633629
From Stuart Island to Northland apparently.Posted 1 year ago # -
Goodness, even splits within the National Party itself, http://www.nzherald.co.nz/environment/news/article.cfm?c_id=39&objectid=10633747
over some of the plans.
Goodness knows what they would've come out with in their discussion doco if F&B hadn't leaked it and they then got a taste of how people'd react!Posted 1 year ago # -
Yep, who would have thought - we're on the same side as John Banks!
Posted 1 year ago # -
At the very least, this exercise of F&B's has
1. reduced the area for mining on environmentally-sensitive areas that the discussion document would've come out with if left alone
and
2. shown what a PR disaster the National Govt has shown us they can make and how atrocious their internal communications are
There's more than a few National Party spin-doctors that'll be spinning their way to an early retirement I imagine....Posted 1 year ago # -
See this political analyst's comment about the govt tripping over it's own feet - http://www.nzherald.co.nz/politics/news/article.cfm?c_id=280&objectid=10633749
As he says, it's not so much just an argument about the total area of conservation land identified for mining any more, so much as just what bits of land they've identified. They couldn't have shot themselves in the feet any worse if they'd tried!! Let's hope that the surgical precision with which they seem to think mining can be done is a darned sight less messy than their communications and spin.
It's like "let's see, what areas of conservation estate shall we suggest we'll open up to mining that will brass the most people off cos of that land's environmental sensitivity and location?" "Oh, I know, we'll go for GBI, Coromandel and Paparoa, that should cause mahem"Posted 1 year ago # -
Today's Herald cartoon says it all really-
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/news-cartoons/news/headlines.cfm?c_id=500814Posted 1 year ago # -
Sumhow I doubt that the govt really intends to mine in GBI - its more likely a distraction tactic
Get Aucklanders focussed on their gulf playground and they will comment less about proposals to move conservation land out of S4 and mine in eg the Paparoas or the Otahu Ecological Area on the CP
sheeesh .... if they can manipulate things so that they can allow a mine in an ecological area they can get away with doing it just about anywhere on conservation land !!!
Posted 1 year ago # -
The government's discussion document on mining the conservation estate is called: "Maximising our Mineral Potential: Stocktake of Schedule 4 of the Crown Minerals Act and beyond; Discussion Paper". The paper (and appendices) can be downloaded quickly & easily from http://www.med.govt.nz/templates/MultipageDocumentTOC____42792.aspx
Why could I not find this information on Forest & Bird's website?Posted 1 year ago # -
On this website (twice in fact) from Day One http://www.forestandbird.org.nz/what-we-do/campaigns/too-precious-mine-/submission-guide
Posted 1 year ago #
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