Stop Luxon letting mining companies re-write our environmental law
It’s been revealed that in the latest in Luxon’s war on nature the mining industry didn’t just get a seat at the table – they basically grabbed the pen and rewrote the rules for their own profits.
The government has announced a proposal to make it easier for offshore corporate mining giants to bulldoze and pillage some of our most precious and fragile landscapes in Aotearoa. They wrote these sweeping proposals on behalf of multinational mining companies and their offshore shareholders. And they’re not even trying to hide it.
Official documents reveal that only two industry lobby groups – Straterra and the Aggregate and Quarry Association – were consulted while drafting these dangerous proposals. There was no consultation with Māori, and although a Treaty impact analysis was done, the government admits it didn’t have time to fully assess the effects on Treaty settlements.
The proposal even includes a plan to remove the requirement that mining projects must provide a public benefit. Meaning that mining corporations can wreak environmental havoc, loot the country’s wealth and send it to their offshore shareholders without proving there will be a single benefit to everyday New Zealanders.
This is not policymaking in the public interest – it’s corporate pillage. Submissions are open until 27 July – scroll down to find out how you can make yours.
What exactly is the mining industry Government proposing?
The government wants to weaken “gateway tests” which are the first line of defence against destructive mining projects. Our core environmental law – the Resource Management Act (RMA) says a corporation must pass the gateway test before they can apply for a consent to mine.
These tests currently limit mining in ecologically sensitive areas – like wetlands, forests, significant natural areas (SNAs), and highly productive farmland. They exist for a reason: to stop destructive industries from wreaking havoc on the ecosystems we both cherish and rely on.
Instead of strengthening checks to protect nature, the government wants to unlock the gate so that mining companies can breeze through even if their project would destroy critical ecosystems, poison water, and push endangered wildlife to extinction.
This is an attack on nature and our democracy
The official documents make it clear. The Luxon government is not writing the rules to serve the people of Aotearoa, instead they are handing the pen, the power and profits over to multinational corporations and their offshore shareholders.
Officials even wrote that there is limited evidence of a policy problem and that the Government “developed our understanding of the problem definition through engagement with industry”. This isn’t just bad policy. It’s a deliberate dismantling of the environmental protections that safeguard our future. These proposals will:
- Worsen the climate crisis: Expanding coal mining supercharges emissions, locks us into dirty energy, just when the world is trying to move over to renewables.
- Push indigenous biodiversity closer to extinction: From kauri forests to coastal wetlands, mining destroys habitats and pushes vulnerable wildlife closer to extinction.
- Contaminate freshwater: Runoff from mining pollutes rivers, aquifers, and lakes. Once contaminated, these ecosystems can take generations to recover – if they recover at all.
What you can do:
Join us to defend nature by making your voice heard now.
- Make a submission now (it’s easy you just send an email) We have until 27 July.
- Email [email protected]
- Include your full name and contact information
- Clearly state that you oppose changes to make consent pathways more enabling for mining. And mention the following key points:
- I oppose the following proposed changes:
- including ‘operational need’ in the NPS-FM gateway test;
- removing ‘could not otherwise be achieved using resources in New Zealand’ from NPSIB and NPS-HPL;
- removing the requirement for the benefit to be public in the NPSIB and the NPS-HPL (i.e. allowing any benefits to be considered); and
- adding consideration of regional benefits to the mining consent pathway in the NPSIB and NPS-HPL
- I propose a ban on all mining on conservation land, including stewardship land and increased restrictions on mining and quarrying in or near wetlands, SNAs and productive farmland.
2. Sign the petition:
This is part of a wider plan to scrap the RMA entirely – replacing it with laws that prioritise corporate property rights, weaken environmental protections and sideline the Treaty. Join thousands of others calling for an end to these dangerous reforms.
3. Submit on freshwater too:
The Government is also proposing to gut freshwater protections, including removing the cap on synthetic nitrogen fertiliser – a major polluter of rivers, lakes and drinking water. Check out this blog to find out more and make your submission before 27 July.
This is a fight for a fair and sustainable future
Instead of serving mining corporations, the government should be serving New Zealanders and the wildlife we share this beautiful country with. That means:
- Banning mining on conservation land. Including stewardship land. These are public lands set aside for nature and wildlife to thrive, they are not there for corporate profits.
- Increasing restrictions on mining and quarrying in or near wetlands, SNAs and productive farmland.
We cannot sit back while this government invites corporations to bulldoze the laws that protect our rivers, forests, and oceans and make away with the loot. Join us to defend nature and make your submission today.
