Resources Minister Shane Jones has officially announced the addition of coking coal and gold to the Critical Minerals List. The announcement was made during an event at OceanaGold’s Waihi mine on Friday morning.
The critical minerals list has expanded to include 37 minerals, an increase from the previous 35 in the draft version, with the addition of gold and coking coal.
“Of the 37 minerals included on the list, we produce or have the potential to produce 21 here in New Zealand. We are a prospective destination for sought-after minerals like antimony, and we have operators working on rare earth, vanadium, and titanium projects, which I note are all ways for New Zealand to support a transition to a clean energy future.”
Aside from the list, Jones has also launched New Zealand’s national minerals strategy. According to Jones, “The Minerals Strategy and Critical Minerals List are the latest government initiatives to unleash the potential of New Zealand’s natural resources to boost regional opportunities and jobs, increase self-sufficiency, and support an export-led recovery for the economy.”
“I’ve spoken at length about how a lack of long-term strategic direction has hindered this country in reaping the economic and security benefits our natural resources present. I am delighted to say that that ends now,” he said.
The establishment of the minerals strategy and critical minerals list was a key component of the coalition agreement between New Zealand First and the National Party. This agreement aims to explore the country’s mineral resources, including vanadium, and to develop a comprehensive plan for capitalising on these opportunities.
“With revised export statistics from Statistics NZ, we are now targeting a goal of doubling our exports to $3b by 2035, up from the previous target of $2b, with a roadmap for how we will get there,” Jones stated.
Shane Jones also remarked that certain obstacles to mining are not government-imposed but arise from “corporate straitjackets.” He criticised the banking sector, which he recently labelled as “woke.”
When addressing barriers to mining, Jones pointed out that “one should look no further than the directors and executives of our banking sector. Some are in thrall to climate groupthink”.
“Not only are they inflicting their luxury beliefs on our farming industry, but they are actively de-banking mineral firms,” he said.
Jones reiterated arguments similar to those of the MAGA movement, asserting that miners are “being pushed to despair by these corporations steeped in wokeness.”
“This malevolence flows from cult-like accords fostered within the UN where banks and their sustainability units foolishly believe they can change the weather. New Zealand banks should abandon such agreements as the Net Zero Banking Alliance. These instruments are alien and represent a foreign threat to regional development.”
“To this end, New Zealand First will be introducing a member’s bill stopping the banks and related corporate bodies from behaving in this harmful manner.”
“We cannot let them hold our economic development to ransom to suit the privileged cabal employed on environmental, social, and inclusion matters.”
This bill is said to have the ability for regulators to revoke a bank’s operating license if it continues to engage in what is described as “virtue-signalling destructiveness.”
Meanwhile, at least 100 protesters have gathered outside the Waihi mine site to express their opposition to the government’s announcement.
Catherine Delahunty, chair of the anti-mining group Coromandel Watchdog of Hauraki, stated that the long-term impacts of mining could damage the land and deplete water resources.
“Previously, when mining was last here, the river turned orange after decades of mining,” she said.
“We know many people support our opposition to this type of toxic gold mining and the threats from seabed mining, coal mining, and more. The strategy doesn’t tell us how we can mine without toxic results or place any value on the quality of the environment.”
“There are many alternatives to mining to create long-term jobs and protect our climate and biodiversity.”