{"id":72344,"date":"2025-07-28T15:54:21","date_gmt":"2025-07-28T03:54:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/aotearoa\/?p=72344"},"modified":"2025-07-29T09:50:11","modified_gmt":"2025-07-28T21:50:11","slug":"greenpeace-submission-on-primary-sector-national-direction","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/aotearoa\/publication\/greenpeace-submission-on-primary-sector-national-direction\/","title":{"rendered":"Greenpeace submission on primary sector national direction – package 2"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Download full submission (PDF)<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n
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  1. Introduction<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. Mining and Quarrying – Part 2.5<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. Stock Exclusion – Part 2.6<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  4. Commercial Forestry – Part 2.2<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  5. Annex 1 \u2013 About Greenpeace Aotearoa<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n

    Introduction<\/h1>\n\n

    The following submission outlines Greenpeace\u2019s concerns and recommendations regarding the proposal in the primary sector discussion document (the discussion document).<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

    Mining and Quarrying – Part 2.5<\/h2>\n\n

    Mining is widely recognised as one of the world\u2019s most environmentally destructive industries.<\/p>\n\n

    The Regulatory Impact Statement for the proposals makes clear that their purpose is \u201cmaking the consent pathways more enabling\u201d for mining and quarrying activities. This is achieved in the policy proposal by weakening the \u201cgateway tests\u201d for Aotearoa, New Zealand’s most ecologically sensitive land; wetlands, significant natural areas and highly productive land.<\/p>\n\n

    These gateway tests are the first and most basic line of defence against destructive mining projects in or around these ecologically sensitive areas. A corporation must pass the gateway test before they can apply for a consent to mine or quarry.<\/p>\n\n

    These proposals weaken the safeguards that stand between extractive industries and our most vulnerable natural areas. This is nothing short of environmental vandalism.<\/p>\n\n

    And we are deeply concerned to see that these proposals were written with, and on behalf of multinational mining companies. M\u0101ori were not consulted nor were environmental groups. <\/strong>The Government has not even tried to hide this deeply anti-democratic behavior. The RIS states:<\/p>\n\n

    \u201cThere has been<\/em> limited stakeholder consultation with industry representatives AQA and Straterra<\/em><\/strong> to develop our understanding of the problem definition prior to public consultation.<\/em> \u2026<\/em> Due to the limited time available,<\/em> it has not been possible to engage with M\u0101ori<\/em><\/strong> groups on these proposals. A treaty impact analysis has been completed but it was not possible to fully assess the Treaty impacts, including on the Crown\u2019s Treaty settlement commitments.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n

    Officials even wrote that there is limited evidence of a policy problem<\/strong> and that they \u201cdeveloped our understanding of the problem definition through engagement with industry.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n

    It is therefore not surprising that the proposals even include a plan to remove the requirement that mining projects must provide a public benefit. <\/p>\n\n

    This means that multinational mining corporations can wreak environmental havoc in our most sensitive ecosystems and send the profits straight to their offshore shareholders, without proving there will be a single benefit to everyday New Zealanders.<\/p>\n\n

    This is not policymaking in the public interest – it\u2019s corporate pillage. <\/p>\n\n

    It\u2019s a deliberate dismantling of the environmental protections so that more mining projects can go ahead, and this will have inevitable and irreversible consequences for native wildlife, freshwater, natural ecosystems, and, in the case of coal, the climate.<\/p>\n\n

    We strongly reject the policy objective of these changes, which is outlined in the RIS, as follows: \u201cThe primary policy objective is to better enable resource extraction and use, including quarrying and mining, while providing for any associated adverse effects to be considered and mitigated.\u201d<\/p>\n\n

    We recommend the policy objective should instead read: \u201cThe primary policy objective is to better protect indigenous species, water quality, ecosystems and the climate from extractive industries such as mining and quarrying.\u201d<\/p>\n\n

    Greenpeace Recommendations on Part 2.5<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

    We oppose all changes<\/strong> set out in Part 2.5 of the discussion document and we specifically strongly oppose the following proposed changes:<\/p>\n\n