Anti-miners lobbying for greater land protection

Anti-mining groups Protect Karangahake and Coromandel Watchdog have co-authored an open letter calling for the Government to keep its promise on extending mining bans to Te Aroha.

They have asked the Government to honour and extend Schedule 4, which is part of the Crown Minerals Act 1991.

The schedule restricts mining to extend to Coromandel land lying north and north-west of State Highway 25A and the road from Hikuai to Pauanui Beach.

In pre-election promises, both the Green Party and Labour promised to extend this protected land down to Te Aroha.

Protect Karangahake spokeswoman Ruby Powell said the land between Te Aroha and what was already under Schedule 4 was ‘‘all really precious, valuable, and well used land’’.

‘‘It has high conservation value and it’s just really beautiful . . . That’s why we want the Schedule 4 protection – to protect the beauty.’’

She said areas being prospected for mining included walking and bike trails, among other tourism draws to the area.

The unprotected area was also an ecological corridor, home to the endangered archey’s frog species, Powell said.

Other reasons why Protect Karangahake were against mining in this area included: ‘‘negative impacts on water quality, increased safety risks from mining trucks sharing narrow residential roads and Department of Conservation tracks, and the spiritual impact on a sacred mountain . . . ’’

The letter asked for Schedule 4 to be extended ‘‘with urgency, as mining activity is currently under way in this area of ecological importance’’.