Maori and Conservationists Voice Concern Over Resource and Sea Grab

Friday 15 June 2012: Both Northland economic forums hosted by politicians, and this week’s Government announcement that tenders have been opened for mining companies to exploit Northland’s mineral resources have been described as ‘mineral resource and sea grabs’ by Maori and conservation interests.

The Economic Forums are pushing aquaculture or marine farms on a large scale and inviting multi-national mining companies to Northland. “The truth behind the spin is that this is a resource grab for mining companies and a sea grab for the corporate fishing industry”, says Bryce Smith for te Wakameninga o nga hapu o Ngāpuhi.

“There are places for marine farms, but the industrial scale politicians and industry are pushing for are unrealistic and unsustainable. First and foremost we need to plan and implement ways to allow more fish in the sea. Protecting breeding and nursery areas would be the first intelligent thing to do and this would benefit everyone,” he says. “We don’t need huge areas of the coast tied up in marine farms that have been bulldozed though with 35 year contracts”.

Meanwhile Forest and Bird Far North Branch Chairperson Dean Baigent-Mercer says that job seminars offering mining work in Australia proves a warning of what would happen here if mining goes ahead. “People from outside the region or country fly in to work and fly off with the majority of the money while toxic waste remains for locals to live with.”

Analysis of all eight known Northland gold sources suggest mining would have a lifetime of less than four years, if all sites were mined at the same time (1).

“It is telling that all the spin from politicians and mining industry to encourage hard rock mining has not tackled the issue of toxic waste. They are accentuating the positive to eliminate the negative but it’s all just a game of promises, smoke and mirrors”.

He pointed out that there are conflicts of interest in councils having a role of protecting the interests of Northland and at the same time using public money to encourage an industry that poses a large risk across many sectors and then also being one of the decision making bodies.

The Far North Branch of Forest and Bird have called for all Northland councils to distance themselves and be independent of mining interests. “This must start with all northern councils withdrawing from the ‘Explore Northland Mineral Group’ otherwise all councils are over their heads in conflicts of interest. Why? Because councils are part of the consenting process and must be independent decisionmakers instead of being in the pockets of mining companies. Biased decisions will otherwise we be made which could put human health, waterways, biodiversity and other forms of regional income generation like farming, fishing and ecotourism at risk. Mayor Wayne Brown has positioned himself at the centre of this conflict of interest by also being the Chair of Explore Northland Minerals Group”, said Mr Baigent-Mercer.

Alarming information leaked to Forest and Bird recently has suggested that the Far North District Mayor is also doing deals to support mining with Maori leaders.

“Has Wayne Brown been attempting to buy Maori support by offering kaumatua seats on a proposed unitary Northland council on the condition that they will support mining?” he asks.

- ends -

(1) http://web.me.com/westnz/RaweneNews/Welcome.html see: ‘Mining in Northland’ section, page 5 and 6.

© Scoop Media