Miners searching protected land

New Zealand's most protected land, including national parks, has already been probed by mining firms.

Since November, the National Government has issued 11 exploration and prospecting permits for areas – including the Kahurangi and Paparoa national parks – that are protected from mining under a special schedule of the Crown Minerals Act.

That is more than half the 21 active permits issued in the past five years, figures released to the Green Party show.

Ten permits were issued under the Labour government.

The figures were released by Energy and Resources Minister Gerry Brownlee's office.

Eleven other permits have terminated over the five-year period.

These involved prospecting and exploration in areas such as the Mt Aspiring and Abel Tasman national parks.

Green Party co-leader Metiria Turei said the Government was already considering mining protected land before a conservation-land stocktake was announced.

"It does make the whole stocktake a sham, and raises questions about the integrity of the Government in the process," she said.

"What they're doing really is, behind the scenes, allowing mining companies to search for them [minerals] already."

The Government was using an exemption for use in special circumstances to allow mining companies on to conservation land, she said.

Mining is prohibited on schedule-four public conservation land, but permits can be granted under exceptions that allow for exploration and prospecting activity of "minimum impact" under which less than 16 square metres of bush is stripped.

Forest & Bird advocacy manager Kevin Hackwell said the permits highlighted a double standard in which mining companies had secret permission to drill or dig for minerals, while other organisations needed a publicly notified concession to operate in parks and reserves.

"It does suggest that the announced review of schedule four is in anticipation of allowing some of these companies to go mining, and that's a worry."

Brownlee ordered the Department of Conservation and the Ministry of Economic Development (MED) to review schedule-four areas with significant mineral potential.

Their report, which has been called a stocktake, is due this month.

Brownlee yesterday accused the Greens of scaremon-gering.

"We've been quite up-front about the fact we want to see the activity increased," he said.

"We do not want to destroy the conservation estate, but where there can be sensitive mineral extraction which adds to the economic well-being of the country we should do it.

"The review is very genuine. It's not being rushed."

An MED report has already proclaimed the "significant mineral potential" in the Fiordland, Kahurangi and Paparoa national parks.

Under new arrangements, the Government's minerals agency will be consulted before the public over the reclassification of conservation land with mining potential.

- © Fairfax NZ News