Mayor admits “this is really mining”

At a public meeting The Hauraki District Council hosted on Tuesday evening in response to uproar about the mining operations due to start in Karangahake Mayor John Tredgida admitted that what New Talisman’s plans to start is in fact mining.

Hauraki District Council Mayor John Tredgida chaired the meeting and fielded questions alongside council staff: Manager of Planning and Environmental Services staff Peter Thom, who signed off the resource consent which allows New Talisman Gold Mines to start extracting 20 000m3 per year from the Karangahake mountain; Head Planner Marina Van Steenbergen, who peer reviewed the resource consent; and a representative for the independent planning consultant who processed the application of AECOM.

Meeting attendee and Karangahake resident Sue Austen of Bullswool Farm Park said of the meeting that it was “sad to see how many questions weren’t answered by the council. Once again after meeting with council to discuss this issue I feel as though I am coming away with more questions than I started with.

“What was good to hear though, was John [the Mayor] admitting that what New Talisman have approved under their ‘exploration’ resource consent is essentially mining even if they legally have an ‘exploration’ permit, they are extracting large amounts of ore and looking to make a decent profit from it. Most importantly that we have his [Mayor John Tredgida’s] support in our bid to extend Schedule 4 to include Karangahake.”

When questioned if they had previously processed or seen an exploration resource consent allowing for extraction of such a large quantity of ore neither the independent planner nor the council staff could remember if they had.

A Protect Karangahake group has been established with its Facebook page already surpassing 1400 ‘likes’. The group has set up working groups such as Community Outreach and Research teams and people who want to join them can email protectkarangahake@gmail.com. “Short term our goal is to stop New Talisman mining Karangahake mountain, long term our goal is to extend Schedule 4 to include the mountain and protect the Karangahake area in perpetuity from mining,” said Protect Karangahake Community Outreach Coordinator Rebecca Dove.

ENDS

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