The government’s fast-track bill has opened the Coromandel up to mining by overseas companies, leaving some of our most beloved places vulnerable to the destructive and toxic effects of mining.
A number of groups opposed to the threat of gold mining are regrouping or have been created anew in order to prepare for battle once again.
The white and green bumper stickers declaring Coromandel NO MINING were ubiquitous on the peninsula in the 1980s and 1990s as grassroots groups fought to save their beloved home from the massive harm of gold mining.
These same bumper stickers are starting to appear on the backs of cars more and more frequently as community groups pull together to face new threats to their homes and holiday spots.
The government’s contentious fast-track bill removes community input and environmental considerations from the projects it deems to be worthy of ‘fast tracking’.
Looking at the map of mining permits over the Hauraki Coromandel region and seeing how it covers many special, beautiful places, it is chilling when you consider how the bill strips away consultation with locals and disregards any environmental concerns.
You may remember the news from last year when the river flowing through the Karanghake Gorge turned bright orange and toxic chemicals (including arsenic) were leaked into the water when an old mine shaft collapsed. Seeing how close these mining permits are to places like Cathedral Cove, and knowing the potential for environmental disaster that comes from mining – as seen in Karangahake – makes the reality of mining this area a frightening concept.
We’ve been here before though – any locals or visitors to the Coromandel in the 1980s and 1990s will remember both the bumper stickers and the battle to save a number of beauty spots in the Coromandel from being mined by multinational mining companies. It was a David and Goliath battle between small grassroots groups who had no money and little influence and the huge and extremely wealthy mining companies. In the end though, the mining companies proved to be no match against the deep and fierce love for the whenua that powered these small groups to eventually win the fight. This has been documented in the 2014 film Z-Nail Gang, which is based on the actions of a number of Kūaotunu locals and the incredible passion that motivated them to win this fight.
This passion is now also rising in many people around the rohe as they learn about these mining permits and discover that they will be locked out of having their say on the issue. This growing concern has led to number of old groups reassembling and new groups forming, under the umbrella of Coromandel Watchdog of Hauraki. In addition to the existing groups in Kūaotunu (Kūaotunu Anti-Mining Action Group or KAMAG), Whangamatā (Earthwatch), Coromandel (Coromandel Lobby Against Indiscriminate Mining or CLAIM), Karangahake (Protect Karangahake), Tairua (Tairua Environment Society or TES) and Waihi (Protection of Waihi Environment and Residents or POWER), there are also new groups in Whenuakite (Whenuakite Anti-Mining or WHAM), and Thames (Thames Hauraki Anti-mining Group or THAM). Lock the Gate NZ is also a Coromandel-wide campaign which will eventually feature people from all over the peninsula who want to ‘lock the gate’ on extractive mining here.
Some of these groups have already begun peaceful protesting. On 23 February, members from KAMAG, Watchdog, THAM, CLAIM and WHAM staged a peaceful protest outside a property in Te Rerenga where an OceanaGold drilling rig was being used. Two days later, when the same drilling rig was being moved to Whenuakite, protestors held up placards along State Highway 25 to communicate their feelings on the matter while members of WHaM met at Whenuakite to greet the truck with their own placards. Safety being a paramount concern, at no point was the road blocked by protestors.
Two vehicles from the first group proceeded at a safe speed and in a safe manner in front the two OceanaGold vehicles – who on numerous occasions dangerously and aggressively drove up behind them as close as 1m. The idea was to peacefully frustrate the delivery of the rig, which was achieved.
In fact OceanaGold were so frustrated by activists legally protesting that police were waiting for them at Coroglen.
Despite OceanaGold putting out a press release to media claiming that these actions were ‘dangerous’, all groups involved have a strong commitment to non-violent and peaceful protests, and find the fact that a bit of slow driving made OceanaGold call in a police presence to be rather amusing.
As the fast-track bill leaves communities out of decisions that will impact them, peaceful protest is one of the only ways to make our feelings known. Watchdog and all the groups under its umbrella are dedicated to this non-violent ethos and the historical groups also have a long history of peaceful protest.
Peaceful protesting in and around Kūaotunu in the 1980s
But won’t mining make us all rich?
There are a number of myths about gold mining that all of these groups are hoping to help bust. The Lock the Gate website breaks down these common misconceptions about mining being good for the economy, that it is a safe and clean process, and that it will never happen in these areas we love.
None of these things are true – you only need to look at Waihi, which consistently has some of the lowest deprivation rankings in the region for education, employment, income and health, to understand that mining is not a magical golden ticket to riches. The gold that is mined similarly does little to help the economy. The Crown Minerals Act states that the New Zealand Government (the Crown) can impose a Maximum Royalty of 2% on the gold produced. The final percentage is negotiated, then set in agreement with the mining company and could be based on 1% or even less! If multinational mining companies put at least 98% of the mined gold in their pockets to enrich their overseas companies, why on Earth are we putting our environment on the line for them to mine? Especially now that the fast-track bill is set to cut environmental factors out of the picture when giving permits to these off-shore companies.
The mining companies are here and ready, and so are the groups who oppose them. These groups are activated and primed to go. While we are still grassroots organisations, we saved the Coromandel in the 1980s and 1990s, and we are ready to do it again!
If you are interested in getting more information or joining a group, or following our progress on social media, see details below.
Coromandel Watchdog of Hauraki (Hauraki Coromandel-wide): info@watchdog.org.nz, https://www.facebook.com/corowatchdog, https://www.instagram.com/corowatchdog/
Kūaotunu Anti-Mining Action Group (KAMAG): kamag2012@gmail.com
Whenuakite Hahei Anti Mining (WHaM): whenuakite.anti.mining@gmail.com
Lock the Gate (Hauraki Coromandel-wide): lockthegateNZ@gmail.com, https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100081425654234, https://www.instagram.com/lock_the_gatenz/
Earthwatch Whangamatā: earthwatchwhangamata@gmail.com, https://www.facebook.com/earthwatchwhanga, https://www.instagram.com/earthwatch_whangamata/
Thames Hauraki Anti-Mining Group (THAM): thameshauraki.antimining@gmail.com
Tairua Environment Society (TES): tairuaes@gmail.com
Coromandel Lobby Against Indiscriminate Mining (CLAIM):claimcoromandel@gmail.com
Protect Karangahake: protectkarangahake@gmail, www.protectkarangahake.org.nz
Protection of Waihi Environment and Residents (POWER): waihipower@gmail.com
Words by Carolyn Wadey-Barron Communications Co-ordinator, KAMAG and Lock the Gate
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