Environmental advocacy groups are marching to Parliament this afternoon carrying a replica of an anti-mining banner Jacinda Ardern held in 2010.
Forest and Bird and Greenpeace have produced a replica of the banner which reads: "Ours. Not mines". It's a replica of a banner the Prime Minister held as she marched down Queen Street during a protest demanding conservation land be protected from mining more than a decade ago.
Forest and Bird said it is time the Government honours their promise and bans new mines on conservation land.
In 2017, the Prime Minister promised there would be no new mines on conservation land. But since then, her Government has granted 78 mining access arrangements on conservation land. While the access doesn't necessarily mean mining is happening on conservation land, the companies have been given permits to see if the land is viable to mine on.
Forest and Bird are calling on the Government to honour its promise to stop new mines on conservation land, by supporting the Crown Minerals (Prohibition of Mining) Amendment Bill.
A lack of agreement between Labour, New Zealand First and the Greens meant the ban never came into place but Ardern recommitted to the move while campaigning in 2020, but despite Labour's majority, there's still no ban.
The Government has instead put its focus on reclassifying stewardship land, parcels of land cared for by the Department of Conservation but which haven't been afforded extra protections, which could take years. This involves surveying 2.5 million hectares of land nationwide.
However, the Government could place a moratorium on new mines on Department of Conservation (DoC) land.
"As a Government, we remain committed to ensuring mining only happens where and when appropriate, and according to robust regulatory standards. This includes properly protecting the biodiversity, cultural, historical, and scientific values found from public conservation land," Conservation Minister Poto Williams said in a statement in August.
But a new poll commissioned by Forest and Bird found the majority of Kiwis (66 percent) think the Government should implement its 2017 promise to stop new mines on public conservation land. Sixteen of the respondents disagreed and eighteen percent were undecided.
"New Zealand is home to some astonishing species and public conservation land is where those species should be most safe," Forest and Bird campaigns adviser George Hobson told Melissa Chan-Green to AM.
Hobson said the poll results show New Zealanders "desperately" want it to be implemented.
"Our position is that needs to be done outside of public conservation land," Hobson said.
"There are plenty of places that can be mined in New Zealand outside of public conservation land and we think if mining has to occur, for particularly those green minerals to help our electric future, it should be done outside of public conservation land.
"Allowing for some of the most pristine areas in the country to have a huge whole dug up on them we think is totally unacceptable and this poll shows New Zealanders agree with us."
Also appearing on AM, Leader of the Opposition Christopher Luxon said the National Party deeply cares about the environment but would take a slightly different approach towards mining on conservation land.
Luxon told Ryan Bridge rather than a blanket ban, the Party would take a case-by-case basis and make sure there is a very high bar for environmental protection and allowing mining on DoC estates.
He said there is land of variable quality and, in some cases, it makes sense to mine for thing such as gravel and roading, rather than shipping it around.
"When I actually look and see some of the mining projects that are there, there's very good restoration happening afterwards," Luxon said. "So I think the trick for me is to look at it case by case, make sure that there is a high bar to start with and then make sure there's very high enforcement and bars around environmental protection and restoration after mining has taken place."
Newshub has contacted Jacinda Ardern for comment.
Forest and Bird will be taking their call to stop new mines on public conservation land direct to Parliament at 12pm on Wednesday.
