National embarrassed again on mining plans

National's shonky plans to mine New Zealand's most beautiful areas have been exposed yet again, this time by Parliament's environmental watch dog, Labour Leader Phil Goff said today.

“Energy Minister Gerry Brownlee has been embarrassed by the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment’s scathing submission on National's mining plans,” Phil Goff said.

"Dr Jan Wright says the Government should u-turn on its plans to open up protected areas of land for mining because Mr Brownlee has failed to provide information that would justify digging up our protected areas.

"Dr Wright slams the quality of Mr Brownlee’s work, saying that the ‘issue is too important to rely on inadequate information’.

“National’s mining plans do not stack up environmentally or economically.

“This is another body blow for National’s plans to mine areas such Great Barrier Island, the Coromandel and Paparoa National Park.

“National Government is more interested in what the mining lobby has to say than New Zealanders who realise that protecting parts of our country is essential for future generations and our tourism industry.

“Documents released quietly late last week show that information obtained by the Government’s so called ‘stock-take’ could be released to ‘act as encouragement for potential mining investors’.

“The consultation is a sham. Labour is opposed to mining in National Parks and other schedule 4 areas like the Coromandel. Mining is not prohibited in other conservation areas or on private land,” Phil Goff said.

ENDS

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