Mining decision backward step, say Greens

Green Party co-leader Russel Norman. Photo / Mark Mitchell

Environmentalists fear the country will take a giant step backwards after Prime Minister John Key signalled some conservation land could lose its protection and be opened up for mining.

But the minerals industry is highly encouraged by the comments from Mr Key yesterday, in which he promised the public would have its say, and any mining operations would have to meet strict environmental standards.

Green Party co-leader Russel Norman led the criticism, saying the Government intended to "assault New Zealand's clean-green image by pushing on with its plan to open up New Zealand's most treasured places to mining interests".

Forest and Bird called the Government plan "last century's solution to this century's problems".

"These guys really aren't doing much original thinking - and that's the sad thing," said advocacy manager Kevin Hackwell. "They think it's going to be the road to nirvana, and it's not."

Minerals Industry Association chief executive Doug Gordon praised the Prime Minister for his vision, saying that no treasured conservation land would be ripped up.

"Nobody wants that. Nobody's going to do that. This Government's not stupid. We are not stupid."

The Government has already ordered a stocktake of valuable minerals in conservation land protected under the Crown Minerals Act.

Mr Key said significant change could be expected to the lands under protection.

There was extraordinary economic potential in the conservation estate, and New Zealand, like Australia, needed to take advantage, he said.

The estimated value of untapped minerals has been put at about $140 billion - about 70 per cent of that in the conservation estate.

"At the moment less than one one-hundredth of 1 per cent is currently being mined. We think there is much greater capability and capacity than that," Mr Key said.

Mr Hackwell said there was no need to tap into the conservation estate when plenty of other land was already available. The Government was looking across the Tasman in envy at Australia's rich mineral industry "and they assume that is going to be the answer for New Zealand".

"And of course we are so different from Australia."

The Environmental Defence Society said although it did not oppose mining on all conservation land, it had to be limited to lower value areas. It remained to be seen if what the Government proposed was reasonable or not, said chairman Gary Taylor.

"I suppose the thing that's a bit alarming is that this thing does seem to have a bit of a head of steam."

Mr Key also announced a Conservation Fund which could collect revenue from mining operations on Crown land to pay for conservation projects.

Mr Hackwell said "throwing a few pennies" would not make up for the environmental damage done by mining.

Mr Taylor said the fund was a good idea in theory, but it shouldn't create perverse incentives for decision-makers to lower environmental standards in order to make money.