Action Coordination Group

Media Release 9 June 2016

Hikoi! Stop Toxic Mining At Puhipuhi

A joint action committee has announced the beginning of an escalating series of actions to stop Australian mining company Evolution Mining Ltd exploring for gold on Puhipuhi mountain north of Whangarei.

This is in response to Evolution moving drilling equipment on to Puhipuhi mountain in an overnight operation on 8th/9th June, supported by police and a number of security personnel. While this was not a surprise, it has been the opportunity for tangata whenua and community opponents to this toxic mining venture to bring months of preparation into action.

The first step of these actions to discourage and stop moves towards mining Puhipuhi is to happen immediately, with ‘Hikoi! Stop Toxic Mining At Puhipuhi’ organised for this coming saturday and calls for support already spreading widely to Northland hapu and communities.

The Action Coordination Group consists of representatives from Kaumatua Kuia Ngati Hau, Ngati Hau Anti Mining Group, Ngati Hau Resource Management Group, and MineWatch Northland. They are calling for support for this initial action, and for other actions to follow.

This Saturday, June 11th, supporters are invited to gather outside Whakapara Marae, Puhipuhi Road, at 1pm, before progressing towards Puhipuhi. They are asked to bring spades, signs of the responsibility that kaitiaki and community will have to clean up the toxic waste that any proposed mining would necessarily release.

“The Government has allowed yet another exploration permit to go ahead, ignoring opposition, submissions, the Ngati Hau Hapu Environmental Management Plan, and all concerns, endlessly expressed. But the fight has barely begun,” said Dr Benjamin Pittman for Kaumatua Kuia Ngati Hau.

“Evolution Mining gives a soft story, trying to reassure people that this exploration may not lead to mining. They also give weak assurances of safety, but these assurances do not stand up. Evolution has never been able to say where they would place the significant toxic waste from potential mining here – the mercury and oxidised minerals like arsenic and cadmium released by the mining and treatment of ore,” said MineWatch Northland spokesperson Tim Howard.

“This is Evolution’s first foothold on the ground on Puhipuhi, and must be opposed at its start. We don’t want them to continue to quietly permeate this area and community as they have been doing,” said Vaughan Potter from Ngati Hau Anti Mining Group. “It’s time to tell them clearly they don’t have our agreement to be here – and need to leave.”

“This is a clean up Hikoi,” said Allan Halliday of Ngati Hau Resource Management Unit. “Waste becomes toxic when brought above ground or released into waterways. It can’t just be stuffed back in a hole. That is why this is rightly called a Toxic Mining venture. And one of the reasons the organising groups want to stop Evolution’s activities now, before it gets too late.“

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