Fear mining ban review could open

Conservation groups fear the Coromandel Peninsula could be in line for new mining - just as a decade-long battle with the mining industry is about to end in a compromise.

Energy Minister Gerry Brownlee has announced plans to review a ban on mining in some of New Zealand's highest-value conservation land - including national parks and reserves.

He said some of the land had significant potential for zinc, lead, copper, nickel and tin but not all of it had high conservation value.

The Royal Forest and Bird Protection Society and the Environmental Defence Society fear mining companies will set their sights on the Coromandel Peninsula, much of which is protected, and Kahurangi National Park near Nelson.

After a long court battle over district plan rules, miners, the society and others have reached a compromise under which mining will be prohibited in parts of the Coromandel Peninsula and subject to strict hurdles in other parts.

The Environment Court is deciding whether to approve the deal and end the legal wrangling.

A large part of the peninsula is owned by the Department of Conservation.

Mr Brownlee said conservation values would be considered before any land was reclassified.

Forest and Bird spokesman Kevin Hackwell said that, by definition, public lands protected from mining were in the top echelon of DoC properties.

"They are the jewels in the Crown estate."

However, Doug Gordon of the New Zealand Mining Industry Association said some land of low conservation value had sneaked in.

He gave Kahurangi National Park, which has significant mining potential, and the old Coromandel rubbish tip as examples.

In all, $240 billion of minerals and coal is believed to be sitting under New Zealand soil, almost three-quarters of it on publicly owned land.

About a third of DoC-owned land - itself about a third of the country - is protected from mining.