Nats to mine world heritage areas

Written By: - Date published: 11:28 am, June 25th, 2012 - 18 comments
Categories: Conservation, Mining - Tags:

The Greens have discovered that National is having world heritage areas in Northland and the West Coast aerial surveyed for minerals. They’re exploiting a loophole where some of the heritage areas haven’t been included in Schedule 4 of the Conservation Act Crown Minerals Act. The next stage will be to give away the data to miners and let them rip up our world heritage areas.

18 comments on “Nats to mine world heritage areas ”

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  1. Wayne 1
    25 June 2012 at 12:24 pm

    There is a bit of a process to go through before a mine could be started, called the RMA. Not so easy as giving the data to miners and letting them rip up our world hertage areas. By the way where were the heritge areas in the North that were not Schedule 4. Just curious.

    • lostinsuburbia 1.1
      25 June 2012 at 12:40 pm

      Some of the mining activity is covered by the RMA, the rest by the Crown Minerals Act.

      But wait for the mining applications to be called into the Environment Protection Agency by the Minister on economic grounds (a la the current King Salmon application). Then the decision will be made by the Minister’s appointees. Oh goodie.

    • Draco T Bastard 1.2
      25 June 2012 at 3:44 pm

      There is a bit of a process to go through before a mine could be started, called the RMA.

      Except that this government put in place the EPA which seemingly has the ability to override the RMA.

  2. Pascal's bookie 2
    25 June 2012 at 12:27 pm

    Z, shedule 4 is in the Crown Minerals Act

  3. vidiot 3
    25 June 2012 at 1:57 pm

    Bit of a presumptuous jump – but hey if there’s a couple of billion in resources lying under some unused land, that’s money that could be spent on our kids education.

    • Kotahi Tane Huna 3.1
      25 June 2012 at 2:05 pm

      …once and once only, and when it’s gone so is the revenue stream that comes from having untouched land – ie: tourism.

      No, I think we should ignore your silly notion and fund education through taxation as per usual. Idiot is as idiot does I guess.

      • Stig 3.1.1
        29 June 2012 at 9:56 am

        Not such a sill notion.

        The tax and royalty income from a very large mining project could simply be permanently invested and so earn more in interest income each year than tourism could ever provide.

  4. vto 4
    25 June 2012 at 3:25 pm

    Look, this lot are completely untrustworthy.

    The aeromagnetic surveying work was largely completed in those Westland areas last year. I know. I saw it being done. You are being duped people.

    This government are a pack of liars

    • vto 4.1
      26 June 2012 at 8:07 am

      I don’t know if this is of interest to any of you green party people out there but what I have outlined above is true. I mentioned it last year and supplied the name and phone number of the company doing the exploration. The helicopter flew over us several times, each line about 3-400m apart, with the aeromagnetic instrument sticking out the front. There was no doubt. (have experience in working with aeromag). It was Feb 15-20 approx., just before the Chch quake.

      How can the government suggest it is doing this now when it did it secretly last year?

      They are blatant liars and this is absolute proof.

      They need to be extremely closely watched – not just with words in Wellington but by eyes in the wilderness. Guarantee they will be assessing other aspects, such as access etc, right now. We will be informed after the event.

      Liars.

      • Stig 4.1.1
        29 June 2012 at 10:00 am

        Sounds exactly like an aeromag survey.

        Didn’t the govt subtly sneak this in during the sched 4 debate? I seem to remember being asked to comment on this when I did a submission on Jerry’s Sched 4 bomb

      • vto 4.2.1
        26 June 2012 at 9:31 am

        apologies but just want to keep this up here for people to see. This is a real life example of this governments deception. Everyone needs to keep eyes and ears open on this.

        Watch your local papers, your local contractors, your local councils, watch for newbies in new 4wds.

        Watch out!

  5. Jenny 5
    25 June 2012 at 11:05 pm

    “FT1: Mines & Wines”

    The 1%, venal, greedy, decadent, powerful, live it up like there is no tomorrow.
    At a time when the world is heading towards dangerous levels of climate change, plans are being made at a conference in Rotorua in August to increase drilling, mining and fracking. The whole world is begging these powerful men to show some restraint. But they don’t know the meaning of the word, ditching restraint for conspicuous consumption. In between plotting and planning for the increased mining and drilling and fracking of this country, they will be living it up, with joyrides on helicopters, wine tasting, and all the other usual luxury trappings of their millionaire lifestyles, for as long as the party lasts.

    http://www.cvent.com/events/ausimm-nz-branch-2012-conference/custom-21-9bf04bf7cef44d439214fc6296f62776.aspx

  6. Fortran 6
    26 June 2012 at 1:30 pm

    With a heading like this one there can only be one retort
    “Bullshit” – it’s not true

    • freedom 6.1
      26 June 2012 at 1:47 pm

      no-one says it is starting tomorrow but:
      ;If you do not intend to use the minerals why would you need to know they are there?
      ;If you have no plans to earn an economic return why invest in mineral mapping?
      ;If protections are to mean anything, should the mineral mapping even be allowed?

      (and if vto’s comments above are accurate -and we have no reason not to believe them)
      then we must wonder how far along the stealth highway the permit applications are ?

      so what proof is there that this is not going to happen?

      • vto 6.1.1
        26 June 2012 at 1:55 pm

        oh it’s accurate freedom.

        and it has been confirmed here http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/7168686/Mineral-study-marked-Coast-sites where Green MP Delahunty raised this very question in Parliament yesterday.

        This government are a pack of liars. This is the proof.

        They are bullshitting us. That is why I say keep your eyes and ears peeled in these sensitive areas known to be mineral rich. The work will be going on right now right under our noses.

        Best you wake up Fortran – how much else you got wrong in your head?

  7. vto 7
    26 June 2012 at 3:11 pm

    Various of you may also be interest in this – affecting another part of the deep southwest in Fiordland. The meeting aint too far from the bowels of Wellington and Auckland, so hop down.

    http://www.facebook.com/SaveFiordland

    And please re-read my comments above. Don’t trust these people – they have just proved themselves untrustworthy.

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