Minister for Resources Shane Jones. Photo: RNZ / Samuel Rillstone
Minister for Resources Shane Jones is expected on Friday morning to launch the government's minerals strategy, alongside the final critical minerals list.
In 2024, the government released a draft list of 35 minerals it considered critical. The minerals have a range of uses, including roading (sand), batteries (graphite), fertilisers (phosphate), and aerospace parts (beryllium).
A draft of the minerals strategy for the next 15 years also went out for consultation in May.
The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment said 102 submissions were received. Of those, 96 percent were broadly supportive of developing a plan to manage the future of mining in New Zealand, subject to additional considerations.
Twenty-eight percent of the submissions came from individuals, consultants, and business owners. Minerals industry participants or groups/bodies made 21 percent of the submissions, while environmental and community groups made 16 percent.
Earlier this week, RNZ spoke to people in the mining town of Waihī about the expected announcement and found residents were split on the benefits of mining in the town.
Speaking to Morning Report ahead of the announcement, Jones took aim at environmental scientists and the Department of Conservation (DOC).
"Visit a mine and you'll see that hundreds and hundreds of thousands of dollars are spent every year on pest control by mining companies. Indeed, where I am today in Waihi, Coromandel, Hauraki, the local gold company spends hundreds of thousands.
"We want to see a change in attitude in terms of some of the people associated with the DOC department (sic) because the mining companies are able to contribute and lessen the burden upon Kiwi taxpayers in respect of pest control."
Jones said his presence at OceaniaGold on Friday for the announcement was not to suggest that firm's application under the fast-track legislation was a done deal.
"There'll be an exacting process that all the applicants go through. The fact that I'm here at the gold company doesn't reflect that I'm personally signing off their application. They'll have to go through a statutory process where there'll be a panel of experts, but the experts will be endowed with knowledge to do with geology minerals engineering.
"We're not having these insect ecologists overrule mining engineers anymore."
The about-face on mining from the Dame Jacinda Ardern-led government would bring in billions of dollars over the next decade, Jones said, and create 2500 new jobs.
"If one was to check the share registry on a number of existing entities on the West Coast, you'll see that American capital is already being invested in these entities.
"I think the reason they're doing that is because we now have a very rational regime. The gatekeepers hiding behind the Wildlife Act, the people trying to turn DO into some sort of preservationist state and deny New Zealand as a livelihood, they're going to be marginalised."
Jones on his 'Mexico' comment
MPs were debating the Prime Minister's Statement on Tuesday when Shane Jones yelled "send the Mexicans home" across the floor, and later saying the Greens' Mexico-born musterer Ricardo Menéndez March should "grow a pair".
Mexico-born Green MP Ricardo Menéndez March. Photo: Tom Taylor / RNZ
New Zealand First leader Winston Peters initially backed Jones, but changed his mind after concerns were raised by the Mexican ambassador.
Jones did not appear to be in the mood to discuss the topic on Morning Report.
"I've never publicly disagreed with my leader," he said. These matters are being addressed by him exclusively… Winston has addressed the issue on behalf of the New Zealand government. He is the minister of foreign affairs and he is the rangatira of New Zealand First."
Asked if Peters had spoken to him about the comments, labelled "racist and xenophobic" by a local Mexican community leader, Jones said the matter "lies exclusively with Winston".
Asked if he had been spoken to by Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, Jones reiterated that the matter lay with Peters.
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