All national parks now protected from mining

All national parks will now be protected from mining, Conservation Minister Steve Chadwick announced today.

"The government is updating the law to extend protection to Kahurangi and Rakiura national parks, as well as several additions to other national parks, 24 marine reserves, two wilderness areas and three reserves," Steve Chadwick said.

"While the primary reason for these changes is to protect our unique natural heritage, this update will also provide local communities and the minerals industry with certainty that mining activities cannot take place in these areas."

The list of public conservation areas for which mining access is restricted is contained in Schedule 4 of the Crown Minerals Act 1991, which was added to the Act in 1997.

Schedule 4 currently only applies to public conservation areas that existed in 1991, but can be added to by the joint recommendation of the Ministers of Energy and Conservation.

"The schedule will now be consistent with the primary purpose of the additional areas and their management plans.

"Since consultation began on these additions, the government has created six further marine reserves and a number of other protected areas.  We will soon begin consultation on whether these new areas should also be added to Schedule 4.

"At the same time, we intend to consult on a proposal to simplify the application of Schedule 4 by making it ‘opt out' rather than ‘opt in'.  This would mean that the schedule would automatically apply to generic protected categories, such as national parks and marine reserves, unless a particular area is specifically excluded," Steve Chadwick said.

The changes are gazetted today and come into effect in 28 days time.