A ‘for sale' sign popping up near the Coromandel township is part of Forest and Bird's new campaign protesting the Government selling off rights to frack, log, drill and mine New Zealand's public conservation land.

Launching today, the ‘On the Block' campaign has seen the ‘for sale' sign erected near the township, with plans for another at Hot Water Beach.

This ‘for sale' sign near Coromandel township is Forest and Bird's new campaign protesting the Government selling off rights to frack, log, drill and mine public conservation land.

Forest and Bird's website says the sign near Coromandel town relates to two threats – a prospecting permit to mine Coromandel Harbour's seabed (Schedule 4 land) for gold and silver; and mining conservation areas on the peninsula.

'The peninsula contains large tracts of indigenous forest, wetlands and diverse coastal and marine systems.

'This forest contains kauri, coastal pohutukawa forest, manuka and kanuka. Wildlife such as dotterel, brown teal, fernbird, brown kiwi and our critically endangered Archey's frog will be placed under threat from these mining proposals.”

The independent conservation organisation is also highlighting the selling off of rights to deep sea drilling and seabed mining within the country's Exclusive Economic Zone – and more than 80 locations nationwide will see ‘for sale' signs pop up for the campaign.

This ‘for sale' sign near Coromandel township is part of Forest and Bird's new campaign ‘On the Block'.

Forest and Bird advocacy manager Kevin Hackwell says New Zealanders might not fully realise it, but the very things they love about their country are under direct threat in a host of ways.

'The Government is currently selling exploitation rights to 925,200 hectares of conservation and private land, and more than 39 million hectares of ocean, through an international tender process,” says Kevin.

'The Government also intends to hand out $400 million worth of subsidies for new irrigation dams, which will further intensify the agricultural sector, and is likely in turn to lead to even more rivers and lakes becoming toxic.

'And in late June the Minister of Conservation introduced and passed in just five hours –under urgency – legislation that will enable loggers to enter West Coast public conservation land for the first time in nearly 30 years.”

Kevin says combined effect could have a major impact on NZ's natural heritage.

'We are at the point at which we must choose between the fast cash, boom-and-bust, ignore-the-consequences approach to creating economic growth, and a transition to a truly sustainable, clean economy – that protects the environment and addresses the threat of climate change.”

For sale signs will appear at Mount Maunganui, the edge of Waitemata Harbour, beside Auckland's Harbour Bridge and on Tamaki Drive, Cape Reinga, Dunedin's St Clair Beach, and Buller Gorge Scenic Reserve.

More signs will be appearing at Northland's Russell Forest, Puhipuhi, Farewell Spit, Denniston Plateau, Hot Water Beach, and Taiaroa Head.

People are also encouraged to download PDF versions of the ‘for sale signs', take their own photos of areas ‘On the Block' and send the images to Forest and Bird's main Facebook page.