14 September 2018

Mining in DoC land during conservation week is a contradiction, says Coromandel community.

Coromandel community group Protect Karangahake will kick-off "conservation week" by informing tourists to the Karangahake Gorge about the threats of mining in the area this Saturday.

Spokesperson Duncan Shearer says “The risks to water quality, disturbances to the ecosystem and the destruction of the peaceful ambiance enjoyed by tens of thousands of visitors to the gorge every year is what’s at stake.”

New Talisman Gold Mines has been granted permission to start mining activities within the Karangahake Mountain and plan to escalate their activities soon. Already they have fenced off and prevented public access to parts of the conservation estate and are altering the roading to enable large trucks to access the mine portal, putting at risk the pedestrian access to popular walking tracks.

Protect Karangahake member Holly Dove says “This is the industrialisation of some of the Coromandel’s most precious conservation estate. About 80,000 people visit the Karangahake Gorge each year, and this puts at risk the developing tourism potential that provides jobs and incomes to many businesses in our area”

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