Protesters are ‘putting their bodies on the line' to stop mining in its tracks on conservation land in the Karangahake Gorge this morning.
Their actions follows several months of mineral exploration carried out by New Talisman Gold on Department of Conservation land.
More than 20 members of the community are blocking a road up to a mine prospecting site, which is currently being developed for large-scale gold extraction.
According to RNZ's Morning Report, three of the protesters have been arrested.
Karangahake resident Beccy Dove says the community has had enough of being 'locked out” of public land.
'Why should the mining industry have priority of access to the DoC estate?”
Occupying the road and risking arrest is a last resort for her and others, yet the community feels it has no choice, she says.
'We are here because this government has no mandate to be handing over conservation land to the mining industry," says Beccy.
'We have been ignored - we have to put our bodies on the line because this government refuses to listen to our voices.
'We are not going away, and we will continue to send a strong message to this government, New Talisman, and this council that we will not stand for this - it's not good enough.”
The community is hosting a rally and concert on September 2 to gain wider support for protecting the mountain.
Three protesters so far have been arrested, and eight more may be. They're opposing mining by New Talisman Gold on @docgovtnz land. https://t.co/mqTxpTfDif
— Morning Report (@NZMorningReport) 23 August 2017
4 comments
Great stuff!
Posted on 24-08-2017 10:26 | By penguin
Well done guys. Keep up the pressure. Apparently there is already enough gold in existence around the world to supply all everyday demands, with a vast amount in storage doing nothing but gaining or losing value. Why, then, is there a need to damage our natural environment by allowing mining on DOC land especially this area? Human greed and lack of principles by government. Shameful!
I doubt..
Posted on 24-08-2017 12:02 | By groutby
..the Government "refuses to listen to our voices", it's surely just that the protestors haven't got their way.? As well meaning ans time rich as this group may be, the mining company have got all the consents etc. required to continue for now, with I would say all opinions taken into account, they have to be. Personally I am neither for nor against mining, but if there is progress, jobs and potential growth for the region in this project, and as the mine has been well and truly established since that later 1800's, then I say go for it!.
protest
Posted on 24-08-2017 12:34 | By dumbkof2
ok people when we have finished protesting its all down to the winz office to collect our benefits
Environmental damage?
Posted on 24-08-2017 17:14 | By Papamoaner
A small portal and it's surroundings probably does orders of magnitude less damage than networks of tramping tracks and trampers boots. So what's all the fuss about?
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