Government’s mining strategy criticised for including coal, gold - The Front Page

Anti-mining protestors in Waihi this morning ahead of Shane Jones' announcement on the Government's mining strategy. Photo / Tom Eley

Mining has become a key part of the Government’s plans for economic growth.

Resources Minister — and self-appointed ‘Matua of Mining’ — Shane Jones has unveiled a plan to double exports to $3 billion by 2035, alongside a 37-strong list of ‘critical minerals’ and a national minerals strategy.

While the plan has been met with criticism from environmentalists and the Opposition, there has been some positive feedback from academics, praising the plan for its commitment to ‘pipeline development’.

Massey University Professor of Geography Glenn Banks told The Front Page he thinks Jones was right when he said New Zealand needs a longer-term vision for mining.

“For too long, and I think he makes the point, it’s just been hit and miss. The miners will come and go, but we haven’t had a clear sense of the sector and how it can contribute to society generally. So, that strategic element, I think, is good.

“There’s very little in terms of detail about what that means in terms of how the industry is going to be managed differently now to what it was previously,” he said.

Labour’s energy spokeswoman Megan Woods said Jones’ announcement was “shortsighted, environmentally reckless, and a giveaway to private mining interests,” and Banks agrees.

“One of the things that struck me about the changes made to the critical minerals list was that it included gold and coal.

“How critical minerals have been defined globally in the last five years when the term’s come back into vogue has been about minerals that support the green transition.

“And to put coal on that list just seems a bit obnoxious, really, and it completely undermines the credibility of the list and in the eyes of anyone with an interest in green transition processes,” he said.

For a long time, Banks said, the mining sector had free rein.

“Then from the 1960s and 70s onwards, there has been increasing regulation to try to make sure they behave responsibly in terms of their environmental impact, but also their contribution to the economy and society generally.

“I think one of the things about the draft mineral strategy was that there was a very nice statement in there which talks about exactly that, about we need a mining industry, but we need one that actually behaves,” he said.

Linking the mineral strategy with fast-track legislation, though, is “probably the most obvious sign that we’re going to see less real examination of new mining prospects,” he said.

“So that’s of concern if we are starting to wind back the dial in terms of the amount of really close looking at the industry before we allow for new mines around the place,” he said.

Listen to the full episode to hear more about the Government’s mining strategy.

The Front Page is a daily news podcast from the New Zealand Herald, available to listen to every weekday from 5am. The podcast is presented by Chelsea Daniels, an Auckland-based journalist with a background in world news and crime/justice reporting who joined NZME in 2016.

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