Maori want talks on mining and minerals

Green Party co-leader Metiria Turei. Photo / Mark Mitchell

Iwi leaders and the Government have met to discuss mining, and how Maori could be part of talks about future mining and energy issues to prevent disagreements such as that by East Coast Maori over oil exploration in the Ruakumara Basin.

Prime Minister John Key and Energy and Resources Minister Gerry Brownlee met the Iwi Leaders Group last night.

The Government last year proposed opening up 7000 hectares of conservation land in the Coromandel, Great Barrier Island and Paparoa National Park to prospecting for valuable minerals.

The land is protected against mining under schedule four of the Crown Minerals Act, and the proposals provoked furious opposition from the public and conservation lobby groups.

In July the Government U-turned and announced it would not mine on schedule four land.

Mr Key said Maori were already involved in many mining activities around the country and it was about whether they could, and wanted to, play a bigger role.

"I wouldn't say there was a universal desire for Maori to be engaged in mining but there's the potential and they at least want to have the discussion. Given the nature of their engagement, we thought it was a good idea to have that discussion."

He said he was also aware that the Iwi Leaders Group did not speak for all Maori and the Government would be talking with other groups as well.

Iwi Leaders Group chairman Mark Soloman told NZPA the discussion last night had focused on creating a framework for discussion between the Government and Maori about oil exploration, mining and other energy issues.

"We didn't talk about mining Maori land, we talked about the whole concept that the Government is looking at."

The Iwi Leaders Group wanted to avoid a repeat of the situation in the North Island where Ngati Porou and Whanau Apanui were protesting the oil exploration in the Ruakumara Basin by Brazilian giant Petrobras, he said.

Mr Solomon, also chair of Ngai Tahu, said his iwi had said it would look at each case individually and weigh the environmental and economic impact.

"It's about getting all the best information you can and acting responsibly as kaitiaki (caretaker) for protecting the land and if there is an economic spin out of it, that is good because that also goes back into the community."

Ngai Tahu's focus was on sustainability and minimal environmental impact, he said.

He said he did not know whether there were other iwi planning to mine on their land.

But, asked if wholesale mining of iwi land was likely, Mr Solomon said no.

Green Party co-leader Metiria Turei said the Government could abuse its power by supporting deals with certain iwi who, because of the poverty of their people, would agree to put commercial gain ahead of environmental decisions.

"Our iwi leadership needs to protect Maori communities from that abuse of power," she said.

The Government was desperate over the mining situation because of the public opposition to its suggestion to mine on conservation land, Mrs Turei said.

"So they're trying to shore up their support but they're doing it in a way that undermines the right of hapu and whanau to be decision-makers over their own land."


- NZPA