'Don't come home to mine' says Ngapuhi

Te Wakameninga o nga hapu Ngapuhi spokesman Bryce Smith has been hearing rumours that Ngapuhi who are working in Australia's mining industry are being encouraged to return to the North by companies wanting them to carry out mineral exploration in the region later this month. And he warned last week that they would not be welcome.

"We will always welcome our people home, but if they return intending to carry out mineral exploration, we say you're not welcome home to do that. The tangata whenua of Australia have been overridden, divided and conquered in this way by governments working with mining corporations. We don't want you to be part of that here," he said.

"We want Ngapuhi to pass this message on to their overseas whanau."

Mr Smith noted that last week Finance Minister Bill English had commented on the North's rejection of many government attempts at regional development, and it was happening again, because the government hadn't been listening.

"Across the North we have employment and environment aspirations, and none of them involve removing the resources underground and under the sea for the benefit of toxic mining or oil corporations. We will determine our own future," he said.

Kaumatua from hapu around Whangaroa and Ngati Hau at Puhipuhi, north of Whangarei, had been clear that those areas were closed to toxic hard rock mining, while he believed the Far North had dumped two-term Mayor Wayne Brown last year because of the perception that he had used his role and public money to further his own business interests in mining and other ventures.

"We must look after the environment that sustains us," Mr Smith added.

"This is more important than having a mine that rips gold out of the ground for a few years and leaves us with toxic waste. Anyone involved in mineral exploration, from shareholders in exploration companies to people hiring or operating drill rigs, are taking steps towards toxic mining. This is unacceptable to us."

It had been conservatively estimated that 18 tonnes of toxic waste was produced to make one gold ring, that waste including mercury, cadmium and arsenic, that had to be stored out of the food chain forever.