Protect Abel Tasman & Golden Bay from drilling, mining

New Zealanders and tourists love the wild coast of Abel Tasman and Golden Bay, so the Government should protect it from fossil fuel drilling and mining, said the Green Party today.

Sydney-based Greywolf Goldmining has applied for permits to drill the seabed for oil and gas, as well as to prospect for coal in Golden Bay.

“We must not sacrifice the high conservation and tourism value of Abel Tasman National Park, and the beautiful Golden Bay region, for a one-off royalty hit,” said off-shore oil spokesperson for the Green Party David Clendon.

“Local iwi are totally opposed to any exploration or drilling of the seabed for oil on cultural and environmental grounds. We agree.”

Local Green Party MP Kevin Hague said there was a significant local industry centred on outdoor tourism which could be threatened by mining and drilling of fossil fuels.

“The Abel Tasman National Park is visited by well over a hundred thousand international tourists a year. It also attracts many New Zealand holiday-makers and is by far the most popular of the Great Walks, with over 30,000 walkers who stay multiple nights each year,” said Mr Hague.

Mr Clendon said there was an opportunity to develop a clean, green economy with high value jobs that didn’t rely on finite resources.

“But we won’t achieve that if we continually open our precious lands and waters to exploitation by foreign mining giants,” said Mr Clendon.

“Similarly, we can’t reduce the threat of climate change if we continue to dig up and burn fossil fuels.

“To develop a clean, green economy that allows all New Zealanders to prosper, we need to say no to new mining or drilling in ecologically and culturally sensitive areas.

“The Tasman region is rich in potential to provide livelihoods in tourism, aquaculture and fisheries. Let’s develop that,” said Mr Clendon.

Link to article about exploration proposals and iwi response:
http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/industries/4955253/Abel-Tasman-oil-coal-and-gas-proposal-alarms