Ten Things We Now Know About Mining The Conservation Estate

1. The direct economic benefits to New Zealand from mining are at best uncertain. The numbers pedalled by National in favour of opening up Conservation lands to mining don't appear to stack up. The assumptions made about the value of these precious minerals are heroic at best. And let us not forget we don't actually know how many of these precious minerals there are. The Government figures are based on guesswork. 
2. National must think the public are fools. Without any sense of shame, the Government today trotted out the same figures in favour of mining that others had demolished days ago. Maybe they thought nobody would notice.
3. Nobody in Government has done any analysis of the potential damage that could be caused to New Zealand's image overseas. John Key (the Tourism Minister!) as much as admitted this in Parliament. The damage to New Zealand's tourism industry could be potentially devastating. Tourists come to New Zealand because they perceive it as being an unspoilt wilderness. Now we all know that's very far from the truth, but in tourism perception is everything. Being savaged by the Economist magazine is not what the industry needs.
4. Some people (the usual suspects) are claiming there is a hidden agenda behind the moves to open up Conservation land to mining. I don't buy tales of hidden agendas and secret plans. Stupidity and blinkered ideology are usually perfectly adequate explanations for poor decision-making. Key and co aren't necessarily trying to reward their mining mates. They just don't give a shit about the things many others care passionately about - like the environment, conservation and our natural heritage.
5. Opposition to these moves is growing steadily. I expect we will see a backdown of sorts. Maybe the plan will be scaled back or quietly dropped.  John Key needs to get a puppy, or smile more. Maybe then we won't notice.
6. Gerry Brownlee is barely competent, and his arrogance is offensive. And he has no understanding of the opposition he is facing. He is not the man to sell this policy.
7. Nobody believes the mining industry's claims that modern mining techniques are surgical.  The problem with any type of mining is that there is always going to be a big hole in the ground, and a great big pile of crap dug out that needs to be put somewhere.  And there need to be roads built as well. And a water source. And somewhere to put wastewater and machinery and trucks etc etc.
8. If surgical mining is anything like surgical bombing, I strongly recommend that all wedding parties get the hell off Great Barrier Island before the miners start digging.
9. Even if the mining industry can convince the public that mining can be done "surgically" (good luck on that), how can we be sure that the only mining operations allowed will be "surgical" ones? The Government's "just trust us" approach doesn't give me any comfort. And if the decision's to be left to the Environment Court, that leaves uncertainty.
10. If this is National's plan to close the income gap with Australia, we're screwed.