Launch of Mining Data Provokes Warnings and Protest
 
Tuesday, 22 May 2012: Today a united front of Maori and conservationists expressed warnings and concern that the release of minerals data tomorrow by the Government and Northern Councils will open a Pandora’s Box of problems which once unleashed, cannot be put back.
 
“The proverb ‘Go to the river and drink for it will give you life’, speaks of our position”, says Bryce Smith for te Wakameninga o nga hapu o Ngapuhi. “Our duty is to protect all that sustains life and our wellbeing. This includes clean water, fertile land to grow food and the sea. The invitation for multinational mining companies to come to the North by Government bodies puts that at risk.”
 
“In the media, Government-registered iwi authorities are suggesting that communication on this matter is the way forward. That vehicle of communication leads to people compromising. Yet these issues are bigger than all of us and will last well beyond our lifetimes, so must not be negotiated in a way that allows unnecessary compromise.”
 
The Far North Branch of Forest and Bird has called for northern councils to remove themselves from the Explore Northland Minerals group, which binds them to interests of mining companies (1).
 
“There are conflicts of interests in this relationship”, says Dean Baigent-Mercer, Chairperson of the Far North Branch of Forest and Bird. “The councils’ roles are to protect our area and our interests yet at the same time they have used public money to welcome the multi-national mining industry here that poses a large risk across many sectors and then these same councils are also key decision making bodies in what will go ahead.”
 
“The promotion of hard rock mining by the northern councils is totally unsustainable and puts human health, waterways, biodiversity and other forms of regional income generation like farming, fishing, aquaculture and ecotourism at risk.”
 
“Councils must stop these conflicts of interests that are inching towards corruption and assert their independence”.
 
Last year the Government and Northern Councils spent $2 million of public money carrying out aerial mineral surveys. The area from near Wellsford north to Cape Reinga was surveyed regardless of if the land was private or publicly owned or under Treaty claim. It happened without our consent. This year $16,000 of ratepayers money was used for Far North District Mayor Wayne Brown to go to the biggest mining trade show in the world in Canada with Government officials to market Northland as a mining destination for multinational companies.

All this follows Government plans to transfer ownership and power over resources, like minerals and oil, and assets to international corporate control. 

Tomorrow Phil Heatley, Minister of Energy & Resources and Wayne Brown, Far North District Council Mayor, will launch survey data of the Northland region at Copthorne Hotel, Waitangi 12.00pm - 2.30pm. The survey provides information on the subsurface geology of Northland.

Protest activity is expected to begin from the Village Green, Paihia at 10.30am and then move to Waitangi.
 
(1)    Explore Northland Minerals group is made up of: Northland regional and district Councils, Enterprise Northland, Ministry of Economic Development, New Zealand Petroleum & Minerals, representatives of Australasian and international mineral prospecting and extraction companies and associations, GNS Science, independent geologists, iwi representatives, and Department of Conservation. http://www.enterprisenorthland.co.nz/projects/entry/explore-northland-minerals

ENDS

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