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New Zealand: Mining in Schedule 4 Conflict: Difference between revisions
New Zealand: Mining in Schedule 4 Conflict (view source)
Revision as of 10:29, 30 March 2015
, 10:29, 30 March 2015→Government mishandling of the debate
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“We know exactly why we can’t rely on the primary sector in the long-term. The more you squeeze out of the land, the harder you need to squeeze to get the next dollar out. It means that growth becomes harder, and we’ve said for years that moving up the value chain – agriscience, biotech, etc. – was the way forward,” wrote Ng. | “We know exactly why we can’t rely on the primary sector in the long-term. The more you squeeze out of the land, the harder you need to squeeze to get the next dollar out. It means that growth becomes harder, and we’ve said for years that moving up the value chain – agriscience, biotech, etc. – was the way forward,” wrote Ng. | ||
For Russell, the Government’s approach to process was “feckless”, | For Russell, the Government’s approach to process was “feckless”, Brown <ref name="Brown" /> reflecting its proclivity not to think issues through thoroughly before promoting a policy publicly. | ||
While Radio New Zealand business commentator, Rod Oram, was generally in favour of mining because New Zealand could not morally accept the benefits of other countries mining when it did not mine its own land, he expressed incredulity that the Government wished to pick a fight over land that might produce NZ$18 billion of income (as a proportion of conservation land potentially earmarked by the Government, i.e. 500 hectares out of 7,058 hectares) when it could mine other land that did not have any of the pitfalls of Schedule Four.<ref>Radio New Zealand. (2010). Business commentator – Rod Oram. Kathryn Ryan Nine to Noon. Retrieved from [http://static.radionz.net.nz/assets/audio_item/0011/2246528/ntn-20100323-1109-Business_commentator_-_Rod_Oram-m048.asx]</ref> | While Radio New Zealand business commentator, Rod Oram, was generally in favour of mining because New Zealand could not morally accept the benefits of other countries mining when it did not mine its own land, he expressed incredulity that the Government wished to pick a fight over land that might produce NZ$18 billion of income (as a proportion of conservation land potentially earmarked by the Government, i.e. 500 hectares out of 7,058 hectares) when it could mine other land that did not have any of the pitfalls of Schedule Four.<ref>Radio New Zealand. (2010). Business commentator – Rod Oram. Kathryn Ryan Nine to Noon. Retrieved from [http://static.radionz.net.nz/assets/audio_item/0011/2246528/ntn-20100323-1109-Business_commentator_-_Rod_Oram-m048.asx]</ref> | ||
This point about why the Government would pick a fight over such a highly contentious issue was picked up subsequently by Wellington barrister and environmental law lecturer at Victoria University in Wellington, Tom Bennion, when reviewing legal access to minerals in 2011. He asked why mining industry groups did not seek to debate access to Schedule Four lands during the many months that Government was reviewing Schedule Four before Brownlee made his proposal public. “The industry’s silence may indicate that it does not appreciate the minister’s bold initiative, which brought thousands out onto the streets to protest against mining”.<ref>Bennion. T. (2011). Access to minerals. Policy Quarterly, 7(1), 7-12.</ref> | This point about why the Government would pick a fight over such a highly contentious issue was picked up subsequently by Wellington barrister and environmental law lecturer at Victoria University in Wellington, Tom Bennion, when reviewing legal access to minerals in 2011. He asked why mining industry groups did not seek to debate access to Schedule Four lands during the many months that Government was reviewing Schedule Four before Brownlee made his proposal public. “The industry’s silence may indicate that it does not appreciate the minister’s bold initiative, which brought thousands out onto the streets to protest against mining”.<ref>Bennion. T. (2011). Access to minerals. Policy Quarterly, 7(1), 7-12.</ref> | ||
==Public submissions process== | ==Public submissions process== | ||