Letter to the Editor - Tuesday July 24, 2012

Beyond belief

Many people living in Northland do not believe that mining will create jobs or wealth, and say that it will pollute our environment for generations.

We want to put the interests of our mokopuna first by stopping the headlong rush towards selling Northland to overseas mining interests. This is the overwhelming conclusion of a hui held at Rawene on Saturday, July 14, attended by more than 60 local people.

People in Northland do not believe the exaggerated claims about jobs and money that are being made. Far North Mayor Wayne Brown says that mining will bring "billions of dollars" to Northland with "thousands of direct jobs and more indirect jobs". He says that "with numbers this big, precision isn't necessary".

Northland communities have never been consulted on mining, and the whole mining debate in Northland needs to start again, using independent and truthful data.

Why the rush to sell off mining permits so quickly without any debate with the communities of Northland, unless the proponents of mining have something to hide?

We don't believe that overseas mining companies who bring in overseas miners to use overseas equipment who sell their mined gold to overseas customers and send back profits to their overseas owners will do anything to benefit local communities.

We want the Government and the council to support Northland residents to create an alternative economic development strategy for Northland that protects its environment and that will create good jobs that local people can fulfil.

We ask that all mining exploration permits be stopped and for the process to start again by engaging with the local communities about sustainable economic solutions to Northland's problems.

We are not prepared to stand quietly by whilst mining is forced upon Northland communities, and we expect our politicians to protect our environment, our water, our children and our futures from the environmental and social damage that mining can cause.

MIKE ALBRECHT, KAREN BROWNE, CLIFF ROYAL, MICHAEL WALKER, DAVID WEST, KETANA SAXON, GRAEME WYLIE, LAVINIA KINGI, REBEKAH LAND, DEREK CASSIDY, LORENE ROYAL, ANDY WALLAM, STEPHANIE DUNCOMBE, JOHN AND GAIL AIKEN, BRUCE WALKER, JACKIE DAVIDSON, JANINE MCVEAGH, JACK KOREWHA