Kiwis Say Love It, Don’t Mine It. Again

New Zealanders have once again reaffirmed their commitment to the protection of our wild spaces, voicing opposition to mining in protected areas of the conservation estate, the Green Party said today.

Today’s ShapeNZ poll, commissioned by the New Zealand Business Council for Sustainable Development, (NZBCSD), reports that a majority still oppose mining in Schedule 4, regardless of any potential royalty revenue, jobs, or wealth benefits.

“It is now crystal clear. The more New Zealanders learn about our pristine places, the more they like them and want to protect them,” Metiria Turei, Green Party Co-leader said today.

“The public is being increasingly exposed to the facts about mining, and still they say ‘love it, protect it’.

“John Key’s Government has failed to make a credible case on any front for the desecration of these iconic and wild spaces.

“The Government needs to declare a moratorium on all new mining applications, and sort out the mess that has been made of the Crown Minerals portfolio.

“I call on John Key’s Government to initiate a Select Committee Inquiry into the Government’s management of the mining industry, to shed fresh light on the following:

• Biodiversity costs of further mining;
• Permanent environmental degradation costs;
• Clean up and remediation costs;
• Costs to tourism and other industries;
• Lost/inadequate royalty costs;
• Climate change costs

“For almost a year, the public has been asked to make a call on mining expansion without any credible information being put on the table.

“It is only by shining a light into the dark corners of the mining industry that the public can make an informed, rational decision about mining expansion in Aotearoa New Zealand,” Mrs Turei said.

ENDS

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