Labour Party Mining Policy Welcomed
Schedule 4 Protection from Mining
Extended to all Southern Coromandel Conservation Land
All conservation land, beaches and harbours on the Southern Coromandel Peninsula between Thames (Kopu-Hikuai Road) and
Te Aroha will be included in Schedule 4 and protected from mining under a Labour-led government.
Mr Tegg says he is “thrilled” about Labour's election commitment.
Denis Tegg is a Thames lawyer, and has been a member of environmental group Coromandel Watchdog since 1980. He is a
former spokesperson for the group which has fought for decades to keep mining companies out of the Peninsula. Mr Tegg
drafted the private member's bill which ultimately led to legislation being passed in 1997 (Schedule 4 of the Crown
Minerals Act) to protect the northern Coromandel area.
“All of the conservation land and the waterways and beaches on the Coromandel Peninsula have amazing landscape,
bio-diversity and ecological values. The southern conservation areas have over 100 nationally threatened species, and
are equally, if not more deserving of protection as those to the north.”
“This is unfinished business from 1997”, said Mr Tegg. “In 1997 the National government drew an arbitrary line across
the Peninsula, and protected only the northern area from mining. This was a weak and ludicrous compromise, which was
strongly opposed at the time by local communities and the Labour and Green Parties.”
“We never gave up, and have relentlessly pursued our campaign for 35 years. Should a Labour/Green government be elected
we can finally achieve what we set out to do in 1979 - preserve the entire Coromandel conservation estate from mining,
all the way south to Te Aroha”, said Mr Tegg.
“In 2010, 40,000 people marched up Queen Street in Auckland to keep mining out of Schedule 4 conservation areas on the
Coromandel and elsewhere. This strong policy commitment from Labour, (also backed by the Green Party) to extend
protection to the southern Coromandel conservation estate will be warmly welcomed by local iwi, residents, holiday home
owners, and the hundreds of thousands of visitors to the Coromandel each year”, said Mr Tegg
For maps and graphics see:-
ends