Forest & Bird finds more mining plans on Government website

Forest & Bird has discovered Government plans to mine even more national park areas than Ministers announced to the public in March.

“A Crown Minerals notice to the mining industry shows areas closed to permitting while the Government surveys their mineral potential,” says Forest & Bird conservation advocate Quentin Duthie. “These areas include Mt Aspiring National Park and parts of the South Island’s World Heritage Area, which are supposed to have been ruled out for mining.

“Forest & Bird wonders why most of Mt Aspiring National Park is included in the permit closure area when Cabinet has agreed that this area is far too valuable to mine.

“This evidence suggests that the Government is deadly serious about raiding more of New Zealand’s highest-value conservation lands over time,” says Mr Duthie. “The Government’s intentions are larger than the public discussion papers disclosed.”

The Government discussion paper asks for public feedback “on the proposal to further investigate the mineral potential of some areas”. However, the Crown Minerals notice shows the $4 million taxpayer-funded survey began on 22 March.

“Minister Gerry Brownlee is so hell-bent on raiding our highest-value conservation areas like national parks he won’t even wait for New Zealanders to have their say,” says Mr Duthie.

The notice and maps were discovered buried on the Crown Minerals website and are not referred to anywhere in the public discussion papers, consultation webpages or ministerial media statements.

The areas closed for permitting while the survey is in progress, but not disclosed in the Government’s discussion paper, include:
• Almost all of Mt Aspiring National Park, and nearby areas that form part of Te Wāhi Pounamu/South West New Zealand World Heritage Area
• A large area of Mt Richmond Forest Park south of Nelson including the Red Hills Range near Nelson Lakes National Park and the upper Motueka River
• Kauri forests proposed for inclusion in the National Party-initiated ”Kauri National Park” in Northland.

The survey also covers vast areas of Schedule 4 lands, including all protected land on the Coromandel Peninsula, and the entire Paparoa National Park and Stewart Island's Rakiura National Park.

Official government papers released last week show that Cabinet agreed on 8 March that no Schedule 4 areas would be included in the survey, but reversed that decision on 22 March.

• Crown Minerals notice (with maps): http://www.crownminerals.govt.nz/cms/news/2010/Notice-of-Land-Closure%20/
• The public discussion paper: http://www.med.govt.nz/templates/StandardSummary____42577.aspx
• Map accompanying notice of closure showing Mt Aspiring National Park in closure zone:
http://www.crownminerals.govt.nz/cms/pdf-library/minerals/maps-ras/South-Westland-Reserved-Area.pdf

ENDS

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