Ask John Key to protect our national parks from mining

The Government plans to open up some of New Zealand’s most precious places to mining. So far, these areas are targeted - 

• Te Ahumata plateau on Great Barrier Island (about 700ha)
• Otahu Ecological Area (396ha) and Parakawai Geological Reserve (70ha) near Whangamata and 2500ha near Thames township
• Eastern Paparoa National Park, near Inangahua (3000ha)

On top of this, the Government will spend $4 million looking at the mining potential of almost 500,000 hectares – more than five times the size of Tongariro National Park – in other national parks.

New Zealand’s most precious conservation areas are protected from mining.  Their landscapes, plants and animals are unique. Apart from their intrinsic value, they can generate far greater long-term economic benefit through tourism and recreation than mining.

Low-impact mining is impossible in these areas because such massive quantities of rock must be excavated and crushed for traces of gold or silver or to extract coal.

You can help stop this. Please save our national parks and other core conservation areas from mining by sending this e-card to Prime Minister John Key. 

Photos: Stockton Mine, Pete Lusk; Coromandel’s Otahu Ecological Area, Kim Westerskov; North Island Brown Kiwi, Rod Morris; Kaka, Brent Bevan; Hochstetter's Frog, GS Shirley. 

Forest & Bird NZ - Level One, 90 Ghuznee Street, PO Box 631, Wellington, New Zealand, Phone + 64 4 385 7374