What a big year it has been!
In January we launched a letter to PM Christopher Luxon and Conservation Minister Tama Potaka calling on them to protect the conservation lands now in their care, highlighting the threats to Wharekirauponga, and the Archey’s frog.
In February, we submitted on Oceana Gold’s application for a Plan Change to expand the mining zone over Waihi Town, taking over more area within the Town, including homes.
By March the Fasttrack Bill was released. We rallied at Karangahake against Fast Tracking mining, against undermining Te Tiriti and community voices. We highlighted the imminent threats at both Karangahake and Whangamatā, that could progress with zero community input! Around this time Rua Gold (Canadian) came on the scene, taking over the Wentworth Valley Permit (formerly Oceana Gold permit).
In April submissions opened for the Fasttrack Bill! We put a lot of focus on understanding the Bill, talking within the networks and were part of several community meetings, webinars etc to help share understanding, raise awareness and encourage participation.
Together with others we initiated the formation of the Communities Against the Fasttrack, a coalition of groups from across Aotearoa, all aware of how this legislation would facilitate bad development and have no meaningful oversight.
In May we began planning for the Hikoi mō Te Taiao March for Nature together with other environmental groups as well as working on oral submission preparation and guidance – more webinars, meetings, guides…and we were proud to be a signatory to an Open Letter signed by many organisations calling on the Govt to honour Te Tiriti and protect Te Taiao.
In June thousands of people marched down Tamaki Makaurau /Auckland Queen Street, on the Hikoi mo Taiao – March for Nature! Against the Fasttrack – 3 bus loads of our community organised by Watchdog journeyed to Tamaki to be part of it.
Rua Gold applied to expand their exploration permit by some 10,000 hectares and other companies had started look at Te Tara o Te Ika a Maui the Coromandel to mine, including Australian Mineralogy, who applied for exploration permits over tens of thousands of hectares of the East coast.
We held a small loud action at Kopu when Minister for Resources Shane Jones came to town opposing the Fasttrack and changes he was proposing to the Mineral Act.
Then in July the Government released a Draft Minerals Strategy discussing Aotearoa’s Mineral needs… but it was very narrow, and the scope for feedback was also narrow. So we wrote our views on that process.
In August, the terrible Ohinemuri spill happened; a significant amount of historic mine waste spilled into the River.. We have been having a lot of conversations with the Waikato Regional Council and have raised several issues including around arsenic residues for kai gathering.
In September Oceana Gold expanded their permit area to cover the entire town, increasing their exploration area significantly; DOC closed the Parakiwai/Wharekirauponga walk, citing kauri dieback as the reason and the Government releases a Crown Minerals Amendment Bill – giving just 4 days for submissions. And by the end of all that it really felt like governance of mining and natural resources in Aotearoa is heavily in favour of the miners!
In October, we had our CWoH AGM and Strategy Day at Tairua – a lovely opportunity to come together…
And then later that month, the Government finally announced the first Fast Track Projects; Wharekirauponga mine project is listed despite not having been ranked very high by the ‘Advisory Group’ who were to advise on project selection.
We had a rally at Scott Simpson MPs (and Chair of Environment Select Committee) office in Thames, calling on him not to support fast tracking mining – it’s not good for this area or the country – are you listening Scott?
And we launched an Open Letter to OceanaGold telling them to go home, stay home!
In November our Committee and local groups were lucky enough to have a Te Tiriti Workshop with the Basket Hauraki. Important work that we are passionate about, we will keep learning and building relationships in Hauraki.
And then, when we went to Waihi and to deliver our letter that more than 1000 of you signed in just a week, to Oceana Gold, they hid from us (see Catherine’s blog “Weirdness in Waihi with OceanaGold”) .
We were invited to speak to a group in Auckland, and also had a lovely day talking to the Auckland community at the Grey Lynn Festival! Unfortunately, we got home to hear that OceanaGold had applied for Resource Consents at Whenuakite and Whangapoua, on private land, so we have been supporting those communities… Then we heard that Rua Gold’s expansion area was granted – making that a huge area of the Coromandel Range, including conservation land, now under exploration by them..
And now, just when we are about to sign off for the year, this government has passed the Fast Track Approvals Bill into Law…
But we finish 2024 in good heart knowing that we have strong public support, two new local groups growing in Whenuakite and Thames/Maratoto and a great team ready to stand up for the land in 2024!
Sign our new Open Letter on our website to all multinational miners threatening Hauraki!