Coromandel community group Protect Karangahake is celebrating today after the High Court accepted their case to fight a resource consent to mine in the area.
The court has granted a hearing in July to challenge the resource consent granted by Hauraki District Council to New Talisman Gold Mines, who wish to extract 20,000 cubic metres of earth per year out of the Karangahake mountain.
Karangahake Gorge. Photo: John Fitzgerald Photography.
The decision follows New Talisman Gold Mines saying the company is confident of its application for resource consents and it willvigorously defend the decisions reached by council and its advice from legal counsel on consenting matters.
The company understand Hauraki Council was advised by an independent specialist company on whether the application should be notified or not.
The Karangahake Mountain is an important ecological corridor and a popular visitor destination at the bottom of the Coromandel Peninsula.
Protect Karangahake committee member Sabine Hartmann is relieved to have the case accepted by the High Court in Auckland.
'There was no public consultation prior to the consent being granted,” says Sabine, 'so this is the only chance we have to stop our beautiful mountain being exploited again.”
'Karangahake Mountain is part of a conservation park and tens of thousands of people visit each year to enjoy the easy access into nature.
'We want to protect it so the bush can continue to regenerate and everyone can continue to come here to relax, swim, walk, cycle and explore the unique underground features of the Karangahake gorge walk.”
New Talisman Gold Mines claim those visiting the area will not be affected by their activities but has applied to share a track which is otherwise only used by walkers and cyclist, to transport the ore off the mountain.
'We know this is only the first step in a long battle but we are determined to protect our mountain and grateful for the opportunity to have the Resource Consent scrutinised by the judicial system,” adds Sabine.
The Protect Karangahake group is challenging the Resource Consent by way of a Judicial Review on the grounds there was no public consultation and because they believe the effects of the activities were wrongly assessed.
The Federated Mountain Clubs of New Zealand are also supporting Protect Karangahake's case.
2 comments
Public Consultantion?
Posted on 05-03-2015 14:56 | By YOGI BEAR
So some official decides to shuffle it through quietly hoping no one would notice, then next we find it surfaces and generally a stone wall. Is the "new" means of consultation now to be via the court? This is not good, means virtually all crazy decisions of a Council can only be challenged via in mass lawyers all over the place.
Abuse of process
Posted on 05-03-2015 14:58 | By YOGI BEAR
Clearly the area is important recreationally, clearly there would be significant public interest, clearly the "right thing to do" is to consult fully with the public, prior to a final decision. What is happening with these Council outfits, seems the power and decisions are all going to the head way to much to be healthy.
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