Following months of work by the Green Party and community and environmental organisations, Parliament will have the opportunity to pass legislation to protect public conservation land and waters from mining.
Green Party conservation spokesperson, Eugenie Sage’s Crown Minerals (Prohibition of Mining) Amendment Bill was pulled from the biscuit tin ballot of member’s bills this afternoon.
“We call on the Labour Government to back the Bill so it can finally fulfil its promise to ban new mining projects on public conservation land,” says Eugenie Sage.
“Mining on Papatūānuku for gold, coal and other minerals can have devastating impacts on nature. And yet it has been more than four years since the Prime Minister promised through the Speech from the Throne that, “there will be no new mines on conservation land.”
“Since then, the Labour Government has chosen to prioritise the reclassification of conservation land that is stewardship land, above protecting conservation land from mining. Now is the time to rebalance priorities in favour of protecting nature.
“More than 15,000 people signed the Green Party’s open letter calling on the Government to uphold its promise to ban new mines on conservation land once and for all.
“Now, by the pure luck of the biscuit tin ballot, the Government will have to stand up in Parliament and confirm whether it will listen to the voices of New Zealanders and support nature, or whether it will continue to back the mining companies,” says Eugenie Sage.
