Green Party Lunacy

Green Party Lunacy

Green Party unveils mining policy ahead of 2026 general election

The Green Party stated that they will revoke any consents or permits issued under this Government’s new fast-track legislation for coal mining, hard-rock gold mining and seabed mining.

The Government’s bill covers mining as well as infrastructure, quarrying, housing, renewable energy and farming projects.

Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson said the legislation had failed “even the most basic standards of transparency, accountability and environmental protection”.

“We can have an economy that employs people without destroying the ecological basis of our existence for the profits of the few. But if we are serious about leaving behind a liveable planet for our mokopuna [grandchildren], we must invest in industries which build our country up, rather than tear it open.”

Davidson said the party wanted to make the announcement before any consents were issued for “complete transparency” and to send the message these consents “are not safe and they are not secure”.

“These forms of mining are deeply destructive, boom-and-bust industries; extracting resources, selling them off overseas and leaving our communities to pick up the pieces. We believe our country, our whenua [land], is worth more.”

 “Our commitment is clear. We will revoke these consents. Our responsibility to our communities, now and into the future, demands nothing less,” Davidson said.

So the lunatic fringe of NZ politics (aka the Green Party) want to stop any development that in their opinion fails even “the most basic standards of transparency, accountability and environmental protection”.

How can they possibly reconcile that position with the true facts as we know them today?

If we want to carry on living in the current world with all of the technological benefits that man has developed then we need to have a constant supply of the resources needed to maintain that developed technology.

Resources such as coal, gold, rock and minerals that are required for that maintenance and without which we would not be able to continue our current existence.

Take coal for example. The previous government decided to import coal from Indonesia rather than support mining the resource in NZ. The reason that they allowed or supported the importation of coal is that they realised they needed coal for power generation or they would face blackouts from power shortages.

In effect this policy does nothing for either NZ or the international environment as all it does is export the environmental issues from NZ to Indonesia and raise the costs of energy production in NZ.

The true facts are that NZ still burns coal to ensure a safe and reliable power supply in all weathers and the mining of coal still occurs to ensure that can happen. In actual fact it is quite possible that the mining of that coal will be carried out under environmental conditions that are worse than what would be required under NZ’s Resource Management Legislation.

We still require the usage of tonnes of gold to develop and maintain technology and equipment in both the medical and communication industries aside from any other uses.

In any developed society as we know it today the first thing that is required to maintain or expand development of the infrastructure, is a constant supply of rock resource, but there is also requirements for other minerals such as iron, aluminium, copper etc.

The previous Labour government banned further exploration for oil and natural gas yet we still require the supply of petroleum products to enable society to survive as we know it today.

These decisions such as that by the Labour government and the proposal from the lunatic Green Party are nothing more than absolutely dishonest virtual signalling, as they well know that we will still need to use these type of resources if we are to carry on living in a society such as we have today.

This dishonesty is compounded when you take into account that they know this is true and that they also know that in many cases the mining of those resources is carried out under conditions which are much worse for both the local environment in which they are mined and the safety of the people doing that mining (including in many cases child slave labour).

When you take into account the way we live in society today it is an incontrovertible fact that Mining is essential to our way of life.

Everything we touch or use outside of living creatures requires a product from either a mine or a quarry at some stage of its lifecycle.

From the time that Stone Age man picked up the first rock and started to use it as a tool we have been committed to the need for mining and quarrying to support our way of life.

Given that this is so, then why is there such an outcry from the nay Sayers in relation to the Resources Minister’s plan for the expansion of Mining in New Zealand.

Is it truly that they want to stop mining anywhere and go back to living under a tree in a grass skirt and using as dock leaf to complete their bodily functions; or is it just that they are happy to export the environmental problems offshore and ignore their own participation in mining.

New Zealand is currently in a dire financial position with regard to our debt levels and rising costs of living yet we have great wealth locked up in natural resources which are required for use in everyday items we use such as telephones, electricity, transport etc.

Why should we not use our own resources and save on overseas debt as well as supply the demand for those resources from offshore, and make a significant inroad into our current account deficit.

This type of anti-mining proposal from the lunatic Green Party never really seems to be required to include the whole truth.

One of the simple facts of the issue is in relation to the physical effects of mining, where it is easily seen that less than one percent of our total land area has been affected by mining in any shape or form and over 70 percent of our land area has been altered/affected by human habitation in some form.

The nay-sayers often talk about the detrimental effects of mining and discuss past indiscretions such as the Tui Mine tailings dam failure in Te Aroha but what needs to be taken into account is that since those issues came about there has been numerous changes made to mining regulations to prevent re-occurrence of these things.

It should also be said that there are places where mining has actually improved the land as a result of mining operations and rehabilitation of the mined out areas such as on the West Coast of the South Island. There are many areas where there has been  mining carried out on land which had very little value which as a result of the rehabilitation from mining has now become highly valued productive farmland.

Good mining activities can increase national income, reduce pollution, decrease land slope, improve topsoil thickness, decrease soil density, increase infiltration-percolation, and reduce soil erosion.

Mining uses less than 0.05% of New Zealand's land area, and sites of former mines are now used for other purposes such as agriculture and tourism.

How big is the mining industry in New Zealand?

The market size of the Mining industry in New Zealand was measured at $5.3bn in 2023.

What is the GDP of mining in New Zealand?

New Zealand's mining sector contributes significantly to its economy. In the year ended March 2023, the gross domestic product (GDP) of the mining industry amounted to approximately two billion New Zealand dollars.

What is the size of the mining market?

The Global Mining Market is a behemoth, estimated to be worth USD 2,138.73 billion in 2023, and projected to reach USD 2,276.8 billion in 2024. This represents a remarkable 6.5% CAGR (Compound Annual Growth Rate), highlighting the industry's significant size and continued expansion.

How much does mining affect the economy?

It provides employment, dividends, and taxes that pay for hospitals, schools, and public facilities. The mining industry produces a trained workforce and small businesses that can service communities and may initiate related businesses.

What percentage of GDP is mining?

The share of national nominal GDP arising from the mining sector has expanded exponentially. In 2022, mining sector gross value-added accounted for over 15% of the national total across all sectors. That's three times its share at the turn of the century, and almost twice its share as recently as 2018.

Does mining help the economy?

By providing essential raw materials for manufacturing, construction, and energy production, mining acts as a catalyst for economic progress. The growth of mining activities often leads to the establishment of downstream industries, creating a ripple effect throughout the economy.

What is the biggest benefit of mining?

Mining provides several benefits to society. It can serve as a key player in economic development, employment, infrastructure, and the supply of essential raw materials. Mining operations also have the potential to generate significant revenues for sustainable development in mineral-rich countries.

Could we survive without mining?

Whether it is renewables or existing infrastructure, we cannot fly, sail or drive without mining. We also can't move electricity without Copper wiring, so that means no heating, or cooking, or light in our homes, and industry unable to produce the things we need.

Minerals that have been mined from the earth are key components of modern technology, from the electrical wires in your walls to the cellphone in your pocket. Copper, lithium, cobalt and nickel are just some metals from a long list of mined resources that power cleaner technologies.

We could survive without mining; but only if we are prepared to return to Stone Age living conditions.

Would we want to do so?

Not in our lifetimes!!!!!