West Coast leaders build on momentum
West Coast leaders build on momentum
The West Coast Mayors, Chairs and Iwi Group met on Tuesday building on the momentum of the public groundswell of opposition to the speech from the throne of no new mining on conservation land made last year. A number of minerals and moss stakeholders were invited to attend to provide further context to the issues for the Group. Together, a pathway forward was developed to take advantage of the combined experience and resources to address the issues facing the region. “The “no new mines on conservation land” proposal was made without prior discussion, consultation or warning, without clear definition of what the policy means, or any detail at all,” the Group said. A consultation process has been signalled for September. A common theme expressed by those around the table was the need for a multi-pronged approach to dealing with this matter. This will include consolidating the information to support the case for mining in New Zealand, as well as recognising the importance of the grassroots approach through ‘people power’. The march at the Taramakau Bridge on Sunday illustrated the groundswell of support that has fallen behind this issue said the Group. “If people didn’t care about their future, we wouldn’t have seen 5,000 members of our local communities turn out in the rain, hail and sunshine of the day. They just wouldn’t turn up. The fact that they did, shows just how important this matter is for the future of the West Coast, their homes, their communities and their people.” The Group sees its role as supporting the momentum gathering within our communities as well as developing a coordinated approach to gathering the information that will provide the facts to back up the concerns held by the region’s communities and stakeholders. “A key component of the work programme going forward will be putting all the facts and figures in front of minsters to ensure they have the full picture of what minerals extraction provides to not just the business itself, but to downstream businesses, the wider communities of the region and its importance to New Zealand as a whole,” they said. “We refuse to sit idle and allow misguided decisions to be made by government ministers that are not in the best interests of our community, or our nation,” said the Group. There is a clear feeling that the decisions made during this process will affect more than just the West Coast. These decisions will impact the Coromandel, Southland, Taranaki; all provincial regions. “We have started the discussions with our local government counterparts around the country. The West Coast has taken the first step on behalf of all New Zealand.” Further positive public demonstrations, similar to that experienced on Sunday, will be required as well. “The value of positive people power cannot be underestimated”, they said. “We will see our nation rally behind this cause in order to save the future of all New Zealanders.” The Mayors, Chairs and Iwi Group is made up of the Mayors of the Buller, Grey and Westland District Councils, the Chairs of the West Coast Regional Council and Development West Coast, and the Chairman of Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Waewae. This Group, as well as the minerals and moss stakeholders, will meet again in late August.