Coromandel Watchdog of Hauraki is disgusted to read the Select Committee's recommendations about the Fast-track - which are basically to endorse the Bill.

“The Select Committee could not get all Parties to agree and did not listen to the 27,000 submitters, of which 85% were opposed to it, with only 0.6% actually in full support, but they have the numbers to endorse the Bill.

CWoH is deeply disappointed to see no improvement to the purpose of the Bill which still fails to include reference to the environment, nor is there any strengthening or additions of any provisions concerned with either environmental protection or sustainability.” Ms Delahunty said.

“This Government aren’t even pretending that they are considering what is best for future generations with this Bill,” says spokesperson Catherine Delahunty. “This is clearly just a vehicle to enable massive development without any input from community, including most tangata whenua or any of the checks and balances we have fought fit in court and will lead to terrible outcomes for our environments and for Aotearoa.”

The Bill leaves Councils with the liability for projects approved under it, excludes communities - including iwi and hapu, shuts out experts and severely limits the ability of local authorities to contribute.

We are angry that our own Coromandel MP, Scott Simpson, is advancing this Bill as Chair of Select Committee and supporting the removal of public participation as we face the biggest campaign to mine the Hauraki since the 1980’s” 

Delahunty says the group are gearing up for action; “We have spent years waiting for a resource consent hearing that now will not happen. The proposed mine is in nationally significant DOC land at Wharekirauponga and will now get no in depth scrutiny or local participation.

The Government is Fast Tracking mines, promoting mines and actively selling Aotearoa to miners. It is clear that our submissions are being ignored despite the climate and biodiversity crises. The long term benefits are to foreign mining companies “

The group will protest the Bill with a Rally outside Simpsons office in Thames this Monday Oct 21, at 12pm.

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