Regions welcome mining plans

Far North Mayor Wayne Brown. Photo / Bay Report

Mining in lower-value conservation areas could tap into more than $20 billion in minerals in Northland alone.

Councils on the West Coast and in Northland have wholeheartedly welcomed plans for possible mining in their regions, saying it would create jobs in areas with bad unemployment.

The Government has turned its attention to non-Schedule 4 land in these regions after backing off plans to mine pristine conservation land in Great Barrier, Coromandel and Paparoa National Park.

Surveying is planned for the West Coast and Northland to learn which areas have high concentrations of valuable minerals.

Far North Mayor Wayne Brown said there was strong community support for mining as it would "inevitably" create jobs.

Northland had the highest unemployment in the country at 9.2 per cent.

About 13 per cent of Crown land in Northland is owned by the Department of Conservation. A study by GNS Science estimated that land contained nearly $23 billion of metallic and non-metallic minerals, peat and coal. This is based on limited exploration data and GNS is keen to see the Government undertake further surveying.

GNS geologist Tony Christie said the surveying provided value beyond the exploration of mineral resources. The information could help with road planning, hazard detection and many other fields.

The New Zealand Minerals Industry Association agreed, saying that in areas such as South Australia, where the Government had made such investment of public funds, a multiplier of 10 for every dollar invested had occurred regardless of any mineral discoveries.

Another study found there was potential to expand the minerals industry in Northland and its contribution to the region's economy.

Industries from sand and cement to gold and silver could be developed, some on conservation land. If a range of mining was expanded and developed in Northland, the New Zealand Institute of Economic Research calculated that 2720 jobs could be created in the region. The economic benefit would be nearly $683 million a year.

West Coast politicians also supported Government surveying.

Westland Mayor Maureen Pugh said that, like Northland, the West Coast had a long history of mining and the advanced technology to mitigate environmental concerns. The need for jobs outweighed the "temporary scarring" of the land, she said.

Environmentalists warned that any economic benefits from mining could be at the expense of long-term conservation, tourism and dairy farming.

Forest and Bird spokesman Kevin Hackwell said New Zealanders were concerned about the impact of mining on all conservation land.

Environmental Defence Society chairman Gary Taylor pointed out that any mining proposals in lower value areas would still have to pass the Resource Management Act.