17 September 2012

Groser to visit North America for trade and climate change talks

Trade Minister Tim Groser departs today to the United States and Canada for trade policy and climate change discussions.

In Washington Mr Groser will give a key address to the Coalition of Service Industries, along with his US, Canadian, Korean and Costa Rican trade counterparts. He will also discuss progress in the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) negotiations with trade contacts and engage in a range of TPP and climate change outreach activities.

In Ottawa, Mr Groser will call on the Ministers of Trade, Finance, Agriculture and Agri-food, and Environment.

“This will provide a good opportunity to update Canada on progress in the TPP discussions before they formally join the negotiation in December,” says Mr Groser.

Mr Groser will participate in the Canadian Council of Chief Executives, which will include participation by the Federal Government and 80 of Chief Executives of major Canadian companies. During the conference he will participate in a panel discussion on “Foreign Direct Investment in the Pacific Century.” He will also spend a day in Toronto undertaking trade and investment outreach activities.

In New York, Mr Groser will attend the Major Economies Forum on Energy and Climate as a special guest. The forum will discuss ways to progress international climate action, building on the agreement reached at the Ministerial climate change conference in Durban last year to negotiate a new comprehensive climate change agreement to come into force by 2020, and to take ambitious action during the transition.
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Scoop Business: Bathurst Gets Nod For DoC Access To Denniston Mine

Conservation Minister Nick Smith has approved access over conservation estate land for Bathurst Resources to develop an open cast coal mine on the Denniston Plateau, above Westport, to the dismay of environmental opponents.

The timing for Smith’s move avoids Bathurst having to resubmit applications for access agreements under the revised Crown Minerals Act, which comes into force tomorrow and would have required public consultation.

The announcement lands in the middle of delicate negotiations between the company, environmental groups and other interested parties that could pave the way to a broader agreement on the Escarpment proposal, whose resource consents are still subject to court appeals. More>>