Consultation on the role of mining in parts of the conservation estate may not get underway until next year.
The government proposed its ban on new mining on Department of Conservation land a year ago. A discussion paper had been scheduled for September but even in August that was looking ambitious.
Conservation Minister Eugenie Sage said she hopes to get the consultation underway in “coming months.”
“We are working to complete a public discussion document,” she said in an emailed response to questions. “Ministers recognise it is a significant issue and wish to put forward good information for the public to consider.”
Obviously this is disappointing - the mining ban and ensuring that conservation land is actually for conserving was a core promise, and the sooner it is implemented, the sooner conservation lands will be properly protected. And given that they've made it clear that current miners will be protected, its not clear what further information is required - information on current mines simply isn't relevant if the proposal doesn't affect them, and I'd already expect DoC to have the case for "conservation" actually meaning conservation sorted. So why the delay?