Tourism Board keeps out of mining debate

The New Zealand Tourism Board is refusing to be drawn into the debate over mining on conservation land, saying it wants to be clear of the facts before offering an opinion on whether it will damage the "100 percent Pure" tourism brand.

Board chairman Greg Muir told MPs on Parliament's commerce select committee today that now was not the time for him to have an opinion and he had given no advice to the Government on the issue.

"We don't know exactly what will be decided, so we are not jumping at shadows. There are some proposals sitting there but it isn't clear what will be decided... I think we might like to understand that more before we had a definitive position," Mr Muir said.

International financial magazine The Economist yesterday attacked the Government's plan to open 7058 hectares of schedule four protected conservation land to mineral mining.

Labour leader Phil Goff said it showed the negative impact the decision was having internationally, and that if returned to Government, Labour would reverse the National Party moves.

Mr Muir refused to be drawn on the issue and ducked numerous questions.

Labour MP David Parker asked whether the Tourism Board should have an opinion as tourism was a $20 billion industry with 200,000 jobs and just a 1 percent drop caused by mining damaging the image would cost $200 million and 2000 jobs.

Mr Muir said there was already some mining in the conservation estate and there was no evidence to suggest that these were causing a problem with New Zealand's international image.

During sometimes heated exchanges, Mr Parker said other tourism bodies had spoken out against mining and wondered whether the different positions was due to them being funded by the industry but the board being funded by the Government.

Mr Muir said the board would not be swayed by heated emotional argument but would look at the facts when they emerged and would be listening to the tourism sector before taking a "fully informed" position.

Following a flurry of mostly negative feedback on the proposals, Energy Minister Gerry Brownlee yesterday moved to make public a set of facts and figures about past mining in New Zealand and the potential financial benefits of opening up some schedule four land.

Mr Brownlee said he didn't accept criticism in The Economist attacking New Zealand's green credentials.

Other mining activity on the conservation estate had been approved over the years and tourist numbers were up, and countries like Canada had historically traded on its green image while maintaining mining industries.

Mr Muir said the 100 percent Pure brand was one the most successful in the world and helped keep tourist numbers up in comparison to the rest of the world when the recession hit the world economy.

New Zealand's environment was an important part of the branding, but there were many other factors as well.

 

 

 

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