Ministers challenged to honour mining pledge

Photo images courtesy of Coromandel Watchdog

AUGUSTA MACASSAY PICKARD INTERVIEW CLICK HERE

Coromandel anti-mining activists are calling on Government Ministers to honour commitments to protect conservation action from mining.

Five people including former Green MP Catherine Delahunty were arrested on Friday blocking the access road to the New Talisman Gold Mines prospecting site in the Karangahake Gorge.

The protest was timed to disrupt a site visit from delegates to the Australasian Institute of Metallurgy and Mining NZ Branch conference, which is being held in Tauranga.

Police issued the five with pre-charge warnings and released them.

Coromandel Watchdog co-ordinator Augusta Macassay Pickard says Environment Minister David Parker and Conservation Minister Eugenie Sage are on record as promising to extend the so-called schedule four protection to cover Mount Karangahake.

"Unfortunately they haven't done it yet so we have and open letter we are encouraging people to sign calling on them to remember that pledge they made and to honour that commitment now before these people dig any deeper into our mountain," she says.

New Talisman Gold Mines estimates there is more than 8500kg of high-quality gold in the gorge.

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