Call for review of old mining licences

Old mining licences need to be reviewed, Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment Jan Wright says.

In her latest report, Wright has praised state-owned coalmining company Solid Energy for improving water quality at its Stockton site near Westport.

However, she said it was too early to assess Solid Energy's remediation of the land and restoration of soil, "since only a small area has been remediated so far".

"I've really only given them a tick for water quality. Revegetation is very slow," she said.

Wright warned the environment could be affected by outdated conditions in mining licences that would be operative for many years. There were 111 such licences granted under legislation before the Resource Management Act (RMA) and the Crown Minerals Act were passed – 80 in the South Island, with 64 on the West Coast.

Wright said she wanted a Government review of old licences to overhaul weak environmental safeguards from a bygone era.

"A typical example is a water right granted by a catchment board at the time," she said. "When the RMA came in, these old water rights were deemed to be resource consents under the RMA, but that doesn't make them like modern [consents]."

She knew little more about Government efforts to mine conservation land than she had read in newspapers.

"They are obviously wanting to encourage mining," she said. "I would have concerns, of course, if it is done without proper safeguards in place for things that are done fast."

Solid Energy chief executive Don Elder said the report was a "huge endorsement" of the commitment to improve the company's environmental management.

"In 2004, we acknowledged to our shareholder and our stakeholders that in the past some of our mining activities, particularly on the West Coast, have fallen well short of environmental best practice," he said. "Our environmental team and people working at Stockton have delivered."

Solid Energy national health, safety and environmental manager Mark Pizey said the company remained committed to its remediation programme.

Green Party West Coast list MP Kevin Hague said the report acknowledged Solid Energy had improved its performance and monitoring. "But the overall picture is devastation of this natural environment, which has been made not quite as bad by the amelioration measures."

Forest & Bird advocacy manager Kevin Hackwell said old mining licences should have to meet modern standards.

"If [the Government] doesn't act now, the future cost in environmental damage and a taxpayer bill to clean it up will be massive."

Energy and Resources Minister Gerry Brownlee said older mining licences were no excuse not to operate to a high environmental standard.

"The Stockton mine is operating under one of the old mine licences and yet Solid Energy has still developed an environmental management system worthy of commendation," he said.

- © Fairfax NZ News