Concerns raised over PGF-supported mine

A proposed West Coast garnet mine granted a $10 million government loan could threaten native wetlands, the Department of Conservation has warned.

Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones’ Provincial Growth Fund gave Barton New Zealand an interest-bearing loan for the operation in Ruatapu, just south of Hokitika, in November 2018.

The loan is subject to the company gaining resource consent and Overseas Investment Office approval. Barton New Zealand is part of US firm Barton Mines, which has been garnet mining globally for 140 years.

At the time, Jones said the mine would create up to ‘‘50 high-paying jobs’’ and boost regional transport and trade industries. But DOC staff have raised concerns about the mine’s effect on neighbouring conservation land, which includes wetlands and whitebait spawning grounds.

Alluvial garnet is mainly used as an industrial abrasive – such as in water jet cutting or sandpaper.

Emails released under the Official Information Act show the company and its resource management consultants have been in discussions and meetings with DOC staff.

The company is seeking affected party approval before it lodges a resource consent application.

DOC told the company it needed advice from internal experts before it could grant approval due to the ‘‘scale of this mine, its proximity to wetlands and scenic reserve, its high visibility and neighbouring public use’’.

In June last year, DOC officials held a meeting to discuss the application. Three pages detailing key issues identified were redacted.

A report by DOC’s West Coast operations manager, Mark Davies, says the site is on private pastoral land with some small fragmented areas of indigenous forest neighbouring the Lake Mahinapua Scenic Reserve, Mahinapua Creek, a closed whitebait habitat, wetlands and podocarp forest.

Resource consent is needed for earthworks, discharge of water, clearance of indigenous vegetation, construction of a mineral separation plant and parking.

The emails reveal DOC staff have already reviewed the effects of the mine on surrounding DOC land.

‘‘We need to be careful the applicant is not using DOC support to say the application should go ahead, ie if DOC’s OK council does not need to consider environmental effects,’’ DOC planner Nadia Yozin wrote.

DOC recreational adviser Ian Wightwick said users of the nearby walkways would hear noise and have views of the proposed mine.

However, he said if mitigation measures proposed were undertaken the effects would be low.

DOC freshwater specialist Tom Drinan wrote that no site surveys had been completed and the likely effects on mudfish were unknown.

There was a sizeable inanga spawning ground nearby, he said.

West Coast Scenic Waterways owner Cindy Hopper, who runs scenic cruises on Mahinapua Creek, said she was concerned about the mine. ‘‘We are aware the region needs jobs and are open minded in that sense but we are concerned about runoff being safe for the waterway. We want to know how our business will be affected by the mine in terms of noise and visibility,’’ she said.

DOC’s Hokitika operations manager, Nicole Kunzmann, told Stuff DOC had not yet seen the company’s formal application for resource consent and had not yet been asked to give affected party approval.

The West Coast Regional Council was able to approve or decline the application without DOC’s approval, she said.

National Party West Coast-based list MP Maureen Pugh said the fact that DOC had highlighted wetlands concerns ‘‘sends up a red flag’’.

Jones and Conservation Minister Eugenie Sage should ‘‘get on the same page’’, she said.

‘‘We have a minister who has a pot of cash to dish out to help create 50 new high-paying jobs, and another minister who seems averse to having any human activity at all on the Coast.’’

Sage said the decision to give or withhold affected party approval would be made by a DOC official, not the Minister of Conservation.

The Lake Mahinapua area was a ‘‘scenic gem’’ and an important whitebait refuge, she said.

DOC was ‘‘simply doing its job as the law requires’’, Sage said.

Jones was unavailable for comment. Barton Mines was approached for comment.

The mine would create up to ‘‘50 highpaying jobs’’ and boost regional transport and trade industries.