‘Not all conservation land is equal’ - Shane Jones starts mining conversation

Resources Minister Shane Jones wants to have a conversation about mining on conservation land — and he thinks he’s found a way of saving his endangered amphibian nemesis, “Freddy the frog”.

He argues that the revenue generated from mining poor quality land with limited conservation value and the conservation initiatives of mining companies themselves would have a net conservation benefit. He made the remarks in a speech in Waihī, home to a large gold mine. Jones also released the final Minerals Strategy and Critical Minerals list — a list of minerals the Government argues are critical to New Zealand’s prosperity.

Controversially, the Government has added metallurgical coal to the final list. Better-known as coking coal, this is a critical component in the manufacturing of steel, although new, less coal-intensive methods are coming available, including in New Zealand thanks to a grant by the last Government.

Resources Minister Shane Jones. Photo / Mark Mitchell.

It is part of a broader Government push to support more mining and to link it to better incomes and social services for New Zealanders.

Not everyone is convinced. The Greens have dispatched MP Steve Abel to Waihī today to make their opposition known.

Jones is particularly keen to talk about mining opportunities on stewardship and other categories of DoC land, while promising that national parks and the highest value DoC land is “not on the table” for mining.

Jones has been locked in a rhetorical battle over “Freddy the frog”, also known as Archey’s frog, an endangered species that could be put further at risk by mining.

“It is correct that our Archey’s frog is endangered,” Jones said today, “but it is not from mining.

“The real threat to Freddy is the rats, stoats and pigs that populate significant extents of our stewardship and conservation land.”

Jones argued that “responsible mining” was “the best news Freddy has had for a long time”. He said that under a Fast-Track project, OceanaGold, a mining company “will be stepping up with an intensive predator control programme in the Coromandel Forest Park”.

“In fact, it’s because of OceanaGold and its specialist conservationists that we have some of the most insightful research collected on the species to date. Over $600,000 towards ecological outcomes around this mining site,” he said.

“Actually a much larger sum when one considers the broader commercial footprint including Macraes, Otago, South Island. Such a quantum is not possible without a successful business.”

Jones wanted an “honest and considered debate on mining”, although he might have undermined the “considered” part of that debate in his very next sentence, describing one side of the debate as “woke collar spongers”.

Jones said the critical minerals list acknowledged how important minerals were to daily life. He said that of the 37 on the list, 21 are produced or could be produced in New Zealand.

“We are a prospective destination for sought-after minerals like antimony and we have operators working rare earth, vanadium and titanium projects, which I note are all ways for New Zealand to support a transition to a clean energy future.

“Some people argue against minerals extraction, but gladly rely on the conveniences of modern society and economy built by those resources. As our Prime Minister said, we don’t have the luxury of turning off growth.

“We are now targeting a goal of doubling our exports to $3b by 2035, up from the previous target of $2b, with a roadmap for how we will get there.”

Thomas Coughlan is Deputy Political Editor and covers politics from Parliament. He has worked for the Herald since 2021 and has worked in the press gallery since 2018.