Forest and Bird has obtained information that Prime Minister John Key and Energy Minister Gerry Brownlee are looking to mine Paparoa National Park (the park of the famous Punakaiki blowholes), Great Barrier Island, and areas surrounding the Thames township.
[Forest and Bird] Spokesman Kevin Hackwell said the organisation had learned of three areas to be named in a delayed discussion document as areas the Government wanted to allow mining in.
Those included about 700ha in Te Ahumata plateau on Great Barrier Island, 396ha in Otahu Ecological Area, 3000ha in Eastern Paparoa National Park near Inangahua and 2500ha near Thames township.
That document has now been delayed four times. Originally it was due out in November.
I wonder if Key is so worried about the public reaction to mining our natural heritage, that he’s ordered Brownlee to delay the discussion document so Crosby/Textor can ready the PR campaign?
Though to be honest, I’m not sure that’ll be good enough this time Mr Key.
Kiwis don’t want pristine areas like Paparoa National Park destroyed. And the people of Thames don’t want their township put at risk because of Brownlee’s push to satisfy his mining mates.
Like Pascal’s bookie said on my last post on this topic, what Key and Brownlee have planned here goes further even than George W. Bush and Dick Cheney were willing to go. If an unfavourable comparison to Bush isn’t an indictment, I don’t know what is.
Kiwis won’t stand for it.
This could very well be the first popularity contest in three years that Key loses.
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