The Conservation Estate – 33% of New Zealand’s land area, owned by all Kiwis and managed by the Department of Conservation (DOC) on our behalf – is well recognised as important for biodiversity and landscape protection.
What is less well known is its economic value to our economy.
When I served as Conservation Minister (2002 – 2007) I commissioned a series of economic impact studies to look at how the DOC estate contributes to regional economic development. click here [PDF link] to read the study report.
This material is particularly relevant to the debate around mining in Conservation areas and the National-Act Government’s proposed changes to those regulations.
Chris. How do you answer the critics regarding your approval for the Pike River Coal project?
Thanks for that report Chris. A surprisingly easily digested document.
“Ecosystem services are often taken for granted, because they are “free”, that is, not traded directly in markets – unlike fish, vegetables and timber. The value to society of ecosystem services becomes more apparent when:
• They are in decline – when air and water is polluted, when erosion and overgrazing degrades soils, when deforested catchments lead to flooding in heavy rain, when whitebait catches fall on the removal of wetlands and streams for farming.
• There are conflicting demands on use – between hydro companies, irrigators, kayakers, anglers and rafting companies for river flows; between diving tourism companies, recreational snorkelers and fishers for healthy marine environments.
In these situations, the ecosystem services are no longer free, but, in the absence of markets and well-defined property rights it is unclear how they should best be managed.
Also, ecosystems are so complicated that it is impossible to reproduce them artificially. Rather, humans impact on ecosystems, and in some cases the impacts are irreversible. The more the ecosystems are modified, the simpler they are likely to become
and provide fewer services.”
C Carter press release relating to pike river
http://www.beehive.govt.nz/node/19189
When minister hy didn’t you buy the Opoutama camping ground and make it a DOC camp?
Chris I would like an answer to Ianmac’s question too.
You approved 74 new mining permits on conservation land between 2000 and 2008.
With respect to the Pike River mine in 2008, you also apparently said; “this mine does represent an intrusion into an area of high conservation values” (see Duncan Garner’s opinion on TV3 website), but yet approved it anyway.
Great sleuthing Tracey!
I wnde rif Duncan investigated it or read it in a Press Release. There is certainly a flurry of announcements from national today…
Yes Tracey, there is. The filthy welfare changes announcement was well timed – snuck it in amongst the furore over the mining. The question now should be why is Minister Cardbord Cutout Paula Shipley Bennett going on an eight-week trip to the US, on full pay, to look at how filthy things are done over there? When the trip was announced it was on a “look at all the options” basis, but it’s obvious now the agenda’s been set. Looks like a two-month holiday on full pay to me.
So Chris, do we take it that Trev has your support for the new LP policy on cancelling mining permits, but only those issued by the National led Government post 2008 ?
Can the rest of your Caucus please indicate their support for this policy. One at a time would be fine!
They are ruining The Shire
“Where’s Labour on the welfare cuts?”
“Don’t worry, it’s only those dirty beneficiaries again. Helping them won’t win votes. They’ll all filthy bludgers anyway.”
Ms “leave with pay ” Bennett – let’s evaluate her 8 weeks paid study?
The suggestion that the approval of the Pike River mining application is somehow akin to National’s proposals to lift protection of Schedule 4 Conservation land is frankly ridiculous.
None of the mining applications approved either by me, Sandra Lee or Stevie Chadwick during the 9 years of the fifth Labour Government were in Schedule 4 protected areas. National is trying to spin that four ventilation shafts with a 1.5m diameter intruding into a very, very tiny area of Paparoa National Park is proof that their policy is no different to ours.
To get permission for those four ventilation shafts with a diameter of 1.5 metres the Pike River coal company had to come up with a host of environmental protections and meet very stringent safeguards.
@Anton, we didn’t buy the Opoutama camping ground because of the cost. I am proud, though, that as Conservation Minister I commissioned DOC to establish 100 new camping grounds on the Conservation Estate. This was my last Conservation achievement before moving to the Education portfolio. I’m proud of that action.
Sadly Chris, you and Labour will be the victim again of sound bite PR spun media reporting (I use that term advisedly). Anyone who bothers to read about the Pike River decision and actually dig deeper than the google media coverage will see the difference.
None so blind as they who will not see
So Chris if the National party can achieve this:
But the approval is subject to the company and the Department of Conservation (DOC) reaching a satisfactory agreement on the terms and conditions of the company’s access arrangement to the area, including financial assurances and bonds.
You’ll be ok with it?
Chris stating you consented to mining on land not under Schedule 4 is merely indicative of Labour looking for an ‘out’ and comes down to nothing more than semantics.
Everyone of course draws their own line in the sand and for me there is little difference here between National and Labour: conservation land is conservation land, mining is mining; you’re either for it or against it.
What a shame Labour did not express the same conviction against mining when they consented for 72 new licenses during their 9 year tenure. Likewise with regards to the environment in general when it came to taking the farmers to task for their smelly cows polluting our rivers and cleaning up streams like the Waiwhetu Stream.
Seems it is much easier to take the moral high ground when pushed into opposition; this so-called difference between red and blue is more about votes than anything else.
The only party that is genuinely against mining is the Green Party. What a shame their policies are so flawed in other areas.
Fantastic news for all kiwis (even the greens!)
I dont believe mining per se is necessarily evil. Mining on DOC land is.
Hi ho hi ho its off to work we go
LOL
“The suggestion that the approval of the Pike River mining application is somehow akin to National’s proposals to lift protection of Schedule 4 Conservation land is frankly ridiculous”
Chris, tell that to the mature red beech tress that were felled, and the native birds that lost their habitats.
Just to clarify what Rebecca said “Conservation land is conservation land” I am very much a greenie but am well aware that there are differing levels of conservation land, such as Chris mentioned stewardship land. Other authorities are often granted stewardship of this land for river protection etc.
All I have to say is, who voted National in, lately they make me ashamed to say I am a kiwi! We can’t hold on to the ‘clean, green image’ for much longer with them about …