Media Statement December 2009
All Coromandel No-Mining Protected Areas Have
“Outstanding” Landscapes. Brownlee Mis-Informed
Statements by Energy and Resources Minister Gerry Brownlee, that some Coromandel conservation land presently closed to mining has low conservation values and could be mined for gold, are completely contradicted by a peer-reviewed Landscape Assessment of the Coromandel Peninsula.
“All the areas presently off-limits to mining on the Peninsula have “outstanding” landscapes, according to the Report (2) by eminent landscape architect Stephen Brown. The maps (3) in Stephen Brown’s report show that the areas of “outstanding” landscapes on the Coromandel Peninsula include all the areas protected from mining by Schedule 4 of the Crown Minerals Act (which Mr Brownlee is “reviewing”)” says Coromandel Watchdog spokesperson Denis Tegg.
” Stephen Brown defines these outstanding landscapes, including the no-mining DoC areas as “pristine” “exemplary” “exceptional” “memorable” “expressive” “conspicuous” and “eminent” (4).”
“Mr Brownlee is deluded if he thinks some of the Coromandel’s Schedule 4 areas are degraded and have low conservation values.”
“Hundreds of thousands of visitors descend on the Coromandel over the summer to enjoy its exceptional and memorable natural beauty, and outstanding landscapes. They will be hostile to Mr Brownlee’s review and any attempt to open this pristine land and coast to new roads, heavy traffic, large scale mining excavations, rock crushing, chemical processing, and toxic waste (tailings) dumps”, said Mr Tegg.
1. On 27 November Mr. Brownlee said there were areas of interest in the Coromandel. “there could be further gold mining activity ….where those areas deemed to have relatively low conservation values but are currently locked up because they are deemed to have high values.”
2. Coromandel Peninsula Landscape Assessment Peer Review July 2008 Stephen Brown
http://www.tcdc.govt.nz/Global/MCMS/Embedded/default/CoromandelPeninsulaLandscapeAssessmentPeerReview20_31339.pdf
3. http://www.tcdc.govt.nz/Global/MCMS/Embedded/default/Districtmap_31362.pdf
4. P.24 of The Report.
NB. Copies of the maps in formats suitable for web or print publication available on request