Mining in conservation land - proposal

A map showing areas proposed for mining and perspective areas of land for further investigation

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The Government is proposing opening up more than 7000 hectares of conservation land to mining including Rakiura National Park in Stewart Island.

The proposal has just been released by Energy and Resources Minister Gerry Brownlee and Conservation Minister Kate Wilkinson.

Brownlee said 7058ha of land presently in Schedule 4 of the Crown Minerals Act could be opened to mining, such as areas of the Coromandel, Paparoa National Park and on Stewart Island.

Land in Schedule 4 is usually deemed to be of high conservation value and, at this stage, cannot be mined.

Brownlee said 7058ha was just 0.2% of Schedule 4 land.

"This is nothing like the vast tracts of land suggested to date by the environmental lobby."

He said only 5% of the land being considered could actually be mined - as little as 500ha. That was smaller than the average New Zealand sheep and beef farm.

Conservation Minister Kate Wilkinson said while the Government was proposing removing 7,058 hectares from the 4.6 million hectares in Schedule Four under the Crown Minerals Act, it was also proposing to add a further 12,400 hectares – a net gain in protected areas of 5,342 hectares.

“The areas being considered for removal are small and any mining on conservation land is subject to strict environmental tests.  It has been made clear that any future mining applications will be considered on a case-by-case basis and conservation and environmental management remain a key consideration. 

“There is ample room for the public to undertake a considered debate about the conservation values and economic potential of the areas proposed for removal from Schedule Four,” Wilkinson said.

The Government is also proposing to create a dedicated Conservation Fund based on a portion of future royalties it receives from mining in public conservation areas.  The budget for the fund would be 50 per cent of royalty revenue from minerals (other than petroleum) from public conservation areas, with a minimum of $2 million per annum for the first four years and a maximum of $10 million per annum.

Forest and Bird advocacy manager Kevin Hackwell said the 12,000ha had been waiting for official protection since a review in 2008.

"[It] should not be seen as trade-offs for high-value conservation land being removed from Schedule 4 because none of the expected 12,000 hectares has significant mining potential."

- © Fairfax NZ News