The Green Party of New Zealand urged the federal government to abide by their commitments and halt mining on conservation lands.
As per the reports by NZ Greens, the party has been urging the government of New Zealand to not drill mines on public conservation lands. As the federal government speeds up the process of review and reclassification for stewardship laws in New Zealand. Furthermore, the land under review and classification for stewardship encompasses a third of the public conservation estate in New Zealand.
The idea behind these reviews is to allow the government to pinpoint which areas are worthy of greater legal protection and environmental care. These areas are generally national parks or scenic lands that enhance the quality of the environment around and protect the natural, historic, cultural and recreational values of the nation. This results in a better future and improved quality of the land.
Furthermore, the Greens are, however, pleased with the efforts of the government for reclassifying the conservation land. The party has also urged the government and concerning panels to implement the conservation principles fully, along with keeping public interest at the core of the decision-making process.
One of the reasons behind the urge to halt mining plans by the New Zealand Greens was because the government had made commitments in 2017, to the creation of no new mines on public stewardship land. New Zealanders want to see clean and fresh land and freshwater along with being able to enjoy the natural and cultural landscapes of New Zealand. Furthermore, NZ Greens reported that they want the local plants and wildlife to be free from any kind of man-made disturbances and digging.
Additionally, NZ Greens were of the opinion that the government should enforce their commitments and protect the reclassification process for their stewardship land. It should not be taken over by commercial interests and mining organizations that allow them to sell of the conservation land, offer or eradicate it from the conservation estate and use it for commercial economic gain.
NZ Greens further added that it would have a massive impact on New Zealand’s nature and diversity. Some of their important places like Papatūānuku and Te Tiriti o Waitangi would be exploited for commercial use while being in the centre of a biodiversity crisis.
Conclusively, the government of New Zealand needs to abide by their commitments and consider halting mining on conservation lands. The government aims to take care of their diversity needs and to continue working towards their goals of a zero-carbon future.
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