Tailings dam annoucement sabotages environment and due process
Oct 8 2019

Coromandel Watchdog of Hauraki is disgusted by the granting of a ‘ new application” from Oceana Gold for a tailings dump on productive farm land at Waihi,

“ Oceana have undermined the robust decision made Green Minster Eugenie Sage with an application that is basically the same as before so they can get a new decision, The Labour Government have colluded with this by taking the decision from the Minister of Lands Information and handing it to Ministers Parker and Robertson because of the Judicial Review of her decision against this proposal. Its a shocking attack on due process and on the Minister who made the original decision on robust grounds” says Coromandel Watchdog Chairperson.Catherine Delahunty.

Ms Delahunty said the “ new “ application just talks up the jobs aspect of the original proposal and undermines the environmental future of the area.

“ Its not a new application, and the Labour Ministers who approved it have ignored the environment and climate risks as well as the loss of food producing land. Sabotaging the Minister of Lands Information in this way shows that only the Greens are serious about protecting valuable land from toxic waste and reducing industries which use fossil fiels from expansion. We know from the history of litigation Ocean Gold is involved in globally they do not care about these issues and just want to continue to make a profit, but we are shocked by the disrespect for the legal process by Labour Ministers when a decision was made on robust grounds.

Gold mining covers good land with toxic waste and has not made Waihi a wealthy town. The gold is in overseas banks and the legacy of toxic waste will be a cost on our region for many generations.”

Ms Delahunty said the OIO law needs clarifying and strengthening to protect the environment but there were strong grounds for the original rejection of the Oceana proposal in terms of protecting productive land.

“ Its a dodgy deal which will not benefit our country in the long term and we are disgusted that it has been granted”.

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