Conservation land mining consultation announced

Wednesday 4th November 2009

Public consultations on proposals to review protected areas of conservation land will occur over six weeks early next year, the Ministers of Energy and Resources, and Conservation, Gerry Brownlee and Tim Groser, announced today.

A discussion document on the process for reviewing Schedule 4 of the Crown Minerals Act, which protects environmentally important areas from mineral prospecting and mining, will be published in February, followed by public consultations and recommendations to Cabinet in June.

"Officials from the Ministry of Economic Development and Department of Conservation have been meeting regularly. The government is satisfied cautious progress is being made on the analysis of mineral potential of conservation and Schedule 4 land," said Brownlee.

The survey of mineral potential in protected conservation areas is part of the government's new enthusiasm for more mineral exploitation to assist stronger economic growth.

Conservation areas listed in Schedule 4 of the Crown Minerals Act 1991 are closed to mining access (except underground mining that does not disturb the land surface).

"Work is currently underway on assessing the mineral and conservation value of the various areas. These will be identified in the discussion document as well as any proposed changes to Schedule 4," said Brownlee.

The executive director for the Environmental Defence Society, Gary Taylor, has been reported as saying there is a "mustering of resources across the land" of opposition to the proposals which, among other things, do not allow consideration of placing further lands under Schedule 4.

Businesswire.co.nz

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