Iwi, DOC turn down frog relocation proposal for Coromandel

An OceanaGold proposal to relocate Archeys frog populations has failed to win favour.

The idea to relocate a species of native frogs has been taken off the table after consideration from the Department of Conservation and local iwi.

Documents obtained under the Official Information Act from Coromandel Watchdog of Hauraki show mining company OceanaGold approached DOC to see if the relocation of the Archeys frog would benefit the population and ease any challenges the mining company has working around the species.

OceanaGold was currently conducting exploration activities on the Coromandel Peninsula, with some on DOC land and an Access Agreement was currently in place.

OceanaGold's senior community adviser, Kit Wilson, said the company wanted to see if an opportunity existed to support any work that would benefit the Archeys frog population.

"We met with DOC to discuss the results of comprehensive frog surveys conducted by specialist herpetologists over the past year and the challenges presented in working around the frogs.

"We discussed whether there was an opportunity to study the effects of relocating a few frogs that might benefit the survival of the species," he said.

Mr Wilson said DOC's technical experts and local iwi gave the idea careful consideration and could not quantify a measurable benefit to the species at this time.

"We respect their opinion and will continue to work within the framework of the Access Arrangement," he said.

A DOC spokesperson said the decision was made that relocating the frogs would not be beneficial.

The spokesperson said no funding was offered from OceanaGold and DOC was not considering any changes to the current Access Agreement.

However, anti-mining group, Coromandel Watchdog of Hauraki, are urging DOC not to renew the Access Agreement.

Group spokesperson Augusta Macassey-Pickard was pleased DOC did not support the relocation.

"They [OceanaGold] are already destroying habitat for up to five frogs per drill site and the OIA shows they wanted the right to relocate the species with no guarantees that the frogs could survive relocation," she says.

Ms Macassey-Pickard said tangata whenua have identified Archeys frog as a taonga as it is threatened and internationally significant: "It is only found in a very few places. It is tiny. Drilling holes, clearing helipads and base camps in beautiful remote forest is not the way to protect these special creatures."