Mt Karangahake mining protests show need for community voices to be heard

Ongoing protests against Australian mining company Newcrest on Mt Karangahake show why minerals exploration should be publicly notified and companies need to listen to community concerns before they start mining, the Green Party said.

“Exploratory mining activities should go through a public notification process before they’re consented, to give communities an opportunity to have their voices heard,” Green Party Coromandel-based MP Catherine Delahunty said.

“Hauraki District Council has failed its community by shutting people out of the resource consent process for minerals exploration on Mt Karangahake.

“When people don’t get a say in the official decision-making processes, they have no option but to look for other ways to have their voices heard and defend the environment.

“People hear about minerals exploration and think of something small, but actually exploration often involves major work like drilling and taking large samples from the land. It can be almost full-scale mining.

“Newcrest, Oceana Gold, and New Talisman all have proposals to mine this beautiful area which it is not only important to local people but also to many other New Zealanders and even tourists from overseas.

“The Green Party supports communities protecting their environment when local and national governments have failed to do so, including through peaceful protest.

“This exploratory mining activity is about 300 metres from conservation land in a very important ecological and recreational area, so it’s no wonder local people want to protect the land,” Ms Delahunty said.

Volunteer

The Greens are proud to be driven by passionate people like you. Today we need your help to take action on the biggest issues facing Aotearoa. Volu...

Action

Save Auckland's Climate Budget

Sign the petition to stop Mayor Wayne Brown's proposal for dangerous cuts to climate and environmental programmes that protect us from extreme weat...

Action

No New Mines 2023

Action

Expand Voting

Now more than ever, young people in Aotearoa are impacted by Government decisions, and they deserve to have a say. We are calling on all Members of...

Action

End Intensive Winter Grazing

Sign the petition to Labour Ministers, to move faster in bringing regulations into force and end intensive winter grazing.

Action

Trains for Climate

Add your name to our open letter urging the Minister for Finance Grant Robertson to save our passenger trains between Wellington, the Wairarapa and...

Action

Healthy Oceans 2022

Join our Healthy Oceans Crew to help us keep the health and protection of our oceans high on the Labour Government’s political agenda.

Action

It's time: A Ministry for Rainbow Communities

Join our call asking the Prime Minister to establish a Ministry for Rainbow Communities that can champion Rainbow issues.

Action

No new mines on conservation land

Sign the open letter asking Labour Ministers to stick to their promise of banning new mining projects on conservation land.

Action

Allow community ownership of our buses

Public transport is an essential service and helps to tackle the climate crisis by reducing our carbon emissions. But there are barriers to communi...

Action

Local Events

We have activists across Aotearoa / New Zealand who are working hard to build a brighter future for our kids and grandkids. This page lists upcomin...

Latest Environment Announcements

Story

Green Party calls for stronger action by Auckland Council to protect urban trees and native forest

The Green Party is calling on Auckland Council to do more to protect urban trees and housing developer Aedifice Property Group to restore and repla...

You wood not believe it: Greens secure win for urban trees

The Green Party’s advocacy has secured an amendment to the Natural and Built Environment Bill at a crucial stage of the Parliamentary process to en...

Forestry sector must compensate for slash damage

The Green Party welcomes today’s release of the report of the Ministerial Inquiry into slash and sediment, and are clear that the forestry industry...

Greens launch petition to protect conservation lands from mining by Mineralogy International Limited

The Green Party has today launched a petition calling for conservation land to be protected from mining by big overseas companies such as Mineralog...

National's drought of ideas won't help farmers facing climate change

Christopher Luxon and the National Party have once again presented another lazy, back-of-the-napkin policy to Aotearoa.

Freshwater crisis needs stronger government action

New Zealand’s rivers, lakes and freshwater are in crisis and there needs to be a more ambitious Government plan to clean them up and protect agains...

Story

Greens launch petition to save oil and gas ban

The Green Party has launched a petition to save the ban on oil and gas exploration.

Greens would push Labour much further on solar power

Labour’s plan to support rooftop solar is a step in the right direction, but falls short of what could be achieved through the Green Party’s Clean ...

Bills lower, climate happier under Green Party plan

Labour’s announcement of an energy rebate is a step in the right direction, but the Greens’ Clean Power Payment would do much more for households.

Government must stop all new oil and gas exploration

The Green Party are welcoming a pause on all remaining oil and gas exploration, and call on the Government to stop it all together.

Crown mineral change does not go far enough

Long overdue changes to the Crown Minerals Act are a welcome step in the right direction but the Government needs to go further to end the nonsensi...

Fix electricity market to help both climate and cost of living

The four big electricity companies should be required to reinvest massive profits into cutting both household bills and climate pollution, the Gree...

Story

Greens will keeping pushing to protect public ownership of water

The Green Party will continue to push for strong protections of core public assets so they cannot be sold off against the wishes of New Zealanders.

Kaydee Zabelin selected as Green candidate for Palmerston North City Council

Kaydee Zabelin has today been selected as a Green Party candidate for Palmerston North City Council in the 2022 election.

Green Candidates confirmed for Palmerston North City Council 2022

Emerging from an energetic selection meeting, we’re pleased to announce that Kaydee Zabelin and Brent Barrett are your Green Party candidates for P...

Greens welcome Three Waters recommendations

The Green Party welcomes the recommendations of the Three Waters independent working group and urges the Government to seriously consider the repor...

Boosting housing and clean transport only realistic option for LGWM

The Green Party says Let’s Get Wellington Moving can and must address the climate & ecological crises and provide for more affordable homes.

Press pause on Three Waters reforms

The Green Party says the Government should hit the pause button on its three waters reform so it can fully address the concerns that have been rais...