10. CATHERINE DELAHUNTY (Green) Link to this
to the Minister of Tourism
What is the value of New Zealand’s “clean, green” brand to our tourism economy?
Mr SPEAKER
Hon Dr JONATHAN COLEMAN (Associate Minister of Tourism) Link to this
That was a long lunch, Mr Speaker! That is a pretty broad question, and I have to answer it from the tourism point of view. I tell the member that people come to New Zealand for all sorts of reasons, and last year overseas visitation earned $8.8 billion for the New Zealand economy.
Catherine Delahunty Link to this
Does the Minister agree with the Tourism Industry Association that opening up the conservation estate to mining interests could put New Zealand’s $20 billion tourism industry at risk?
Hon Dr JONATHAN COLEMAN Link to this
That is not actually what the Minister of Energy and Resources is proposing.
Hon David ParkerIs the Minister aware that the head of the New Zealand Minerals Industry Association, Douglas Gordon, just yesterday on the current affairs TV programme Back Benches—in response to a question from the interviewer asking whether he would say right now that he would absolutely write off the idea of mining in national parks, even if it was offered to him—said: “That is a yes.”; if so, will he now advise the Minister of Energy and Resources to desist in his efforts to open up national parks to mining?
Hon Dr JONATHAN COLEMAN Link to this
The Minister of Energy and Resources has not said anything about opening up national parks to mining.
Catherine Delahunty Link to this
Has the Minister raised concerns with his colleagues that even underground mining of conservation land will carve roads through forests; create processing plants, blasting effects, and noise; and risk subsidence of land, all of which will deter visitors?
Hon Dr JONATHAN COLEMAN Link to this
The main thing we should be concerned about is that if the Green Party members keep on talking up matters in that scaremongering way, they really will end up putting off visitors to New Zealand.
I cannot hear what the member is calling. Is this a supplementary question? I call Catherine Delahunty.
Catherine Delahunty Link to this
Does the Minister not realise that to tourists around the world who are thinking about visiting New Zealand, mining in our national parks sounds about as clean and green as George Bush drilling for oil in Alaska?
Hon Dr JONATHAN COLEMAN Link to this
That member is the only person talking about mining in national parks.
I seek leave to table a transcript of the Back Benches interview where Mr Gordon said that the mining industry does not want to mine in national parks.
Catherine Delahunty Link to this
I seek leave to table a statement made by the Tourism Industry Association that mining national parks could put our $20 billion tourism industry at risk.
Jeanette Fitzsimons Link to this
I seek leave to table a speech made by the Hon Gerry Brownlee that talks about taking land out of schedule 4 of the Crown Minerals Act, which is where national parks are listed, in order to open them up for mining.