Is banning mining the best thing for conservation land?
References and sources for claims made in this video
Claim #1: Mining's footprint is equal to about 0.04% of New Zealand's conservation estate
New Zealand's total conservation estate is about 8,838,470 hectares (see page 27 of this report), or about one third of the country's total landmass.
Department of Conservation figures released to Straterra under the Official Information Act in 2018 indicate that the total footprint of disturbance from mining on conservation land as a result of access arrangements is about 3,512 hectares. These figures can be found in this Excel spreadsheet:
Department of Conservation figures released to Straterra under the Official Information Act in 2018 indicate that the total footprint of disturbance from mining on conservation land as a result of access arrangements is about 3,512 hectares. These figures can be found in this Excel spreadsheet:
| 18-e-0985_straterra_oia_-_mining_on_conservation_land_as_at_20_september_2018_excel_data_-_doc-5635395.xlsx |
This works out to about 0.04% of all public conservation land - or 4 hectares per 10,000 - meaning about 99.96% of conservation land is not affected by mining.
Claim #2: Introduced pests and predators eat about 26,600,000 native bird chicks and eggs every year
This figure is sourced from page 20 of the Ministry for the Environment's Environment Aotearoa 2022 report, and can be found on page 20 under the heading 'Invasive Species'.
Claim #3: The Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment said mining of the conservation estate offers an opportunity to address conservation funding shortfalls
In 2010 the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment, Jan Wright, published a report titled Making difficult decisions: mining the conservation estate.
The line quoted in the video - "Current and projected public funding will not be enough to stop pests wiping out much of our unique biodiversity. Commercial use (including mining) of the conservation estate offers an opportunity to address some of that funding shortfall." can be found on page 25 of the full report under the heading '5.1 A fundamental principle - conservation must take precedence'.
The line quoted in the video - "Current and projected public funding will not be enough to stop pests wiping out much of our unique biodiversity. Commercial use (including mining) of the conservation estate offers an opportunity to address some of that funding shortfall." can be found on page 25 of the full report under the heading '5.1 A fundamental principle - conservation must take precedence'.
Claim #4: Department of Conservation funding enables pest control over about 6% of the conservation estate each year
This figure is based on the Department of Conservation's figures outlining predator control operations for the 2020/2021 season, indicating predators were controlled over about 500,000 hectares on the 8,838,470 hectare conservation estate in that year. Figures for other years can be checked here.
Claim #5: The Department of Conservation expects kiwi to be extinct from the mainland within two human generations
The Department of Conservation's predictions for kiwi extinction in the wild are documented in 2016 promotional material for the "Battle for our Birds" campaign, and can be found on page 6 of the document, along with the comparisons for kiwi chick survival in areas with and without pest control.
Claim #6: Department of Conservation funding graph documenting conservation budgets from 2003-2022
This graph has been compiled through analysis of Treasury figures for Vote Conservation (the conservation budget) spanning two decades and three governments.
This analysis is informed by conservation budgets from 2003-2022, links to all of which can be found alongside the specific figures in the table in the PDF document below.
This analysis is informed by conservation budgets from 2003-2022, links to all of which can be found alongside the specific figures in the table in the PDF document below.
| vote_conservation_2003-2022.pdf |
Claim #7: Conservation spending equals about 0.44% of total Crown spending
These figures are based on Treasury data for the 2021_22 year for the government budgets (also known as 'Votes') for different government spending programmes. These figures are outlined in the PDF below.
| government_spending_2021_22.pdf |
Claim #8: Department of Conservation spending enables predator control over about 6% of conservation land each year
This figure is sourced from the Department of Conservation's website. The page from which this figure is sourced can be found here.
The Department's figures indicate this predator control in the 2020/2021 year covered about 550,000 hectares, or 6% of public conservation land.
The Department's figures indicate this predator control in the 2020/2021 year covered about 550,000 hectares, or 6% of public conservation land.
Claim #9: Bird numbers on the rise in Kahurangi National Park due to miners funding pest control
This information is based on a Department of Conservation media release issued in August 2020, which can be found in full here.
Claim #10: Bathurst Resources access arrangement conditions
In 2013 Bathurst Resources attained an access arrangement for coal mining on public conservation land on 106 hectares of the 2,026 hectare Denniston Plateau.
As part of the access arrangement, Bathurst Resources committed to 25,000 hectares in Kahurangi National Park, and on 4,500 hectares on and around the Denniston Plateau. This package is outlined on this page of the Department of Conservation's website, and other information is available here.
As part of the access arrangement, Bathurst Resources committed to 25,000 hectares in Kahurangi National Park, and on 4,500 hectares on and around the Denniston Plateau. This package is outlined on this page of the Department of Conservation's website, and other information is available here.
Claim #11: OceanaGold's commitment to pest control in Coromandel Forest Park to deliver net-gain for Archey's frog and other species
OceanaGold is in the process of applying for resource consents for its planned mine underneath conservation land at Wharekirauponga in Coromandel Forest Park.
The full extent of the gold miners' application for resource consents can be found on the company's website, as can the proposed pest control programme outlined in consent conditions outlined on pages 4 and 5 of the 'proposed conditions document' which specify under condition 9 that the company will establish and finance pest control over 18,870 hectares of Coromandel Forest Park for a period of at least 20 years which, according to information outlined on pages 68 and 69 of the 'assessment of site specific environmental effects' should lead to a net-gain for Archey's frog populations, and the wider ecosystems of Coromandel Forest Park.
The full extent of the gold miners' application for resource consents can be found on the company's website, as can the proposed pest control programme outlined in consent conditions outlined on pages 4 and 5 of the 'proposed conditions document' which specify under condition 9 that the company will establish and finance pest control over 18,870 hectares of Coromandel Forest Park for a period of at least 20 years which, according to information outlined on pages 68 and 69 of the 'assessment of site specific environmental effects' should lead to a net-gain for Archey's frog populations, and the wider ecosystems of Coromandel Forest Park.
Claim #12: Mining's footprint is equal to about 0.04% of New Zealand's conservation estate
New Zealand's total conservation estate is about 8,838,470 hectares (see page 27 of this report), or about one third of the country's total landmass.
Department of Conservation figures release in 2018 under the Official Information Act indicate that the total footprint of disturbance from mining on conservation land as a result of access arrangements is about 3,512 hectares. These figures can be found in this Excel spreadsheet:
Department of Conservation figures release in 2018 under the Official Information Act indicate that the total footprint of disturbance from mining on conservation land as a result of access arrangements is about 3,512 hectares. These figures can be found in this Excel spreadsheet:
| 18-e-0985_straterra_oia_-_mining_on_conservation_land_as_at_20_september_2018_excel_data_-_doc-5635395.xlsx |
Claim #13: The Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment said there is potential for a "win-win" from mining on conservation land
In 2010 the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment, Jan Wright, published a report titled Making difficult decisions: mining the conservation estate.
The line referring to potential for a "win-win" can be found at the bottom of page 5 of the full report.
The line referring to potential for a "win-win" can be found at the bottom of page 5 of the full report.
