Energy Minister Gerry Brownlee accused the Labour Party of hypocrisy yesterday when he revealed the previous government approved 218 permits for mining on conservation land.

Environmental concerns versus a shrinking job market have left Thames locals split on the Govt's plan to open more Coromandel land to mining.

The lure of up to $4.3bn worth of gold and silver the Govt says is sitting in the hills is hard to ignore for some Great Barrier residents.

The Government's draconian plans for our National Parks seem like something from another age, out of step with the rest of the world.

There will be no open cast mining on Great Barrier Island or Coromandel, John Key assured Parliament today, while under attack over the Govt's mining plan.

Some Great Barrier locals say mining will destroy the island's "fragile" environment, while others say the jobs created will be a blessing.

Business leaders have urged Kiwis to take a rational approach to the debate over the Government's proposed plans to open conservation land up to mining.

The Government is proposing to open up more than 7000 hectares of conservation land for mining on Coromandel, and Paparoa National Park on the West Coast.

The Govt will try to justify mining in conservation land by putting other areas into protection when it announces its plans at 3pm, says Forest & Bird.

As gold earns nothing and yields nothing, over the long term it does nothing more than preserve investors' capital from inflation.