The world's largest environmental conservation authority has weighed in with a criticism of the New Zealand Government's stance on mining on conservation land.
The World Conservation Union's New Zealand spokesman Bruce Jefferies, of Wanaka, said the organisation had taken the rare step of raising its concerns with Prime Minister John Key, Energy and Resources Minister Gerry Brownlee, and Conservation Minister Tim Grosser.
Mr Jefferies, who is the deputy vice-chairman for New Zealand of the World Commission on Protected Areas, said the Government's proposal to open up conservation land for mining needed a greater level of transparency.
The commission rarely advocated at a political level, but in this instance, the international organisation had realised there was a case of "urgency to find out exactly what the intentions of the Government are", he said.
Commission international chairman Nik Lopoukhine, of Canada, had recently written a letter to the three ministers urging the Government to reconsider its decision to review schedule four of the Crown Mineral Acts.
A Ministry of Economic Development paper, obtained and released by the Greens Party, has revealed the Government is reviewing the possibility of reversing a ban on oil and mining exploration in Fiordland, and several other significant conservation areas around New Zealand.
Mr Jefferies said more public pressure needed to be put on the Government to open up their policy consideration and decision-making process.
"We need more public consultation on this matter, rather than political manoeuvering behind the scenes and closed-door discussions with the mining industry."
New Zealand's international reputation for upholding conservation values was being undermined by the Government's tacit message, effectively backing the opening up of oil and mining exploration in World Heritage Areas, such as Fiordland, Mr Jefferies said.
"They may say they're just looking into the possibility, but the Government is still sending out the international message that New Zealand is prepared to allow the mining of our conservation areas."
The commission "very rarely" took a strong stand at a government level on issues such as mining, preferring to focus its conservation protection message at a "professional and technical" level.
The commission is a voluntary organisation mainly comprised of conservation-minded professionals and environmental consultants involved in various international projects, he said.
