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A new lobby group representing mining and mineral companies says the sector is not getting a fair go in dealing with the Government.
The group named Straterra, which was launched yesterday at the New Zealand Minerals Conference in Wellington, maintains it is not aligned to any particular political party but says it gets a more sympathetic hearing from National.
Seed capital of $200,000 came from gold companies Oceana, Glass Earth and Newmont, Pike River Coal, the Coal Association and state-owned Solid Energy.
Acting chief executive Ian Parton said Straterra stemmed from a meeting involving industry heads, including Solid Energy chief executive Don Elder, whose testy relationship with the Government and Energy Minister David Parker in particular has boiled over publicly at times.
Parton said the sector was being held back by consenting and access problems and the industry needed a more streamlined approach.
Straterra will represent the NZ Minerals Industry Association, Aggregates and Quarrying Association, Coal Association of New Zealand and Minerals West Coast.
Between them the minerals and petroleum sectors generated more than $4 billion a year, and contributed $2 billion to exports.
Parton said Straterra, the name of which came from a branding exercise, was sprung from dissatisfaction about how extractive industries were being represented.
"Some of the major players were dissatisfied with how things are going. "There are no groups taking a long-term view of the industry," he said.
Government agency Crown Minerals also wanted a single group to deal with.
Straterra would initially have a staff of four, with two sector analysts, a chief executive and communications specialist.
At present the industry was represented by one and a half full-time workers. "The rest of it is voluntary. A larger, better-funded organisation will be more effective."
The Petroleum Exploration and Production Association said it was at arm's length from Straterra and although willing to help with advice would "wait and see" before forging any formal links.
