Newsflash - NZ Mining News 22 March 2010

[RKC]

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Newsflash - NZ Mining News 22 March 2010
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Submissions open for review of Schedule 4 of the Crown Minerals Act 1991.

In August 2009, the Ministry of Economic Development and the Department of
Conservation were directed by Ministers to complete a stocktake of public
conservation areas listed in Schedule 4 of the Crown Minerals Act 1991.
Schedule 4 restricts mineral-related activity in specified public
conservation areas.

The stocktake has involved evaluating existing information on the mineral
potential and conservation values of Schedule 4 listed areas via a desk-top
mapping exercise. Tourism, recreation and cultural values have also been
considered. No new studies of mineral potential have been undertaken.

Four main conclusions were reached from the stocktake:
- New Zealand is mineral rich and the environmentally responsible
development of this potential is a very real possibility.
- Much of the country’s mineral potential is concentrated, often in public
conservation areas with high conservation and cultural values.
- The mineral potential of Schedule 4 lands could be developed with only a
very small proportion of the land being directly impacted.
- Information on New Zealand’s mineral potential is limited and Government
has a role to improve our knowledge of the mineral estate.

The stocktake has identified areas covering 7,058 hectares for potential
removal from Schedule 4, and areas covering 12,400 hectares for addition to
Schedule 4. No decisions have yet been made.

On 22 March 2010, the Government released a discussion document to seek
public feedback on these areas, and a number of related policy initiatives.
Select the following link to view the release from Hon Gerry Brownlee:
s0.tx.co.nz/at/tep121n308165j294359i472106f2c3649822a4t9s4z

Select the following link to view the Schedule 4 discussion document:
s0.tx.co.nz/at/tep121n308165j294359i472105f2c3649822a4t9s4z

Submissions close at 5.00pm on Tuesday, 4 May 2010.
s0.tx.co.nz/at/tep121n308165j294359i472107f2c3649822a4t9s4z


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Notice of Land Closure for All Permitting for Metallic Minerals and Coal
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With the release of the discussion document on Schedule 4 lands, and the
announcement that the Government intends to invest approximately $4 million
over the next 9 months, to improve technical knowledge of mineral potential
in those areas proposed for removal from Schedule 4 as well as a number of
other high potential mineral areas outside of Schedule 4.
Full story click below...
s0.tx.co.nz/at/tep121n308165j294359i472235f2c3649822a4t9s4z

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Submissions open for review of Schedule 4 of the Crown Minerals Act 1991.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
In August 2009, the Ministry of Economic Development and the Department of
Conservation were directed by Ministers to complete a stocktake of public
conservation areas listed in Schedule 4 of the Crown Minerals Act 1991.
Schedule 4 restricts mineral-related activity in specified public
conservation areas.
Full story click below...
s0.tx.co.nz/at/tep121n308165j294359i472236f2c3649822a4t9s4z
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[Deleted]

Dont hold your breath fellas theres nuth'n here for us
The fact they have closed the ground for competitive applications is going to rule out most all New Zealanders

[RKC]

G'day Homesouth,

No doubt "theres nuth'n here for us". But its going to be great fun to watch the hysteria that we are about to be bombarded with from the greenies ... all that fiction will make for great theater.

I'm expecting that it won't all be as one-sided as it would have been in previous times. On TV tonight the results of a poll asking viewers if they were in favor of mining or were against mining, was 50/50. And I doubt there will be the blockades in the Coromandel that there were in the 1980s when drilling rigs were harassed by the unemployed who then had plenty of free time on their hands and who could easily live on the dole.

The ground I would particularly like to see mined is in the hills behind Thames

img.photobucket.com/albums/v521/NZGOLD/Underground%20mines/P1010146.jpg?t=1269250581

img.photobucket.com/albums/v521/NZGOLD/Underground%20mines/P1010135.jpg?t=1269250619

img.photobucket.com/albums/v172/Coochee/NZGOLD/NZ%20Hardrock%20mine%20X/20d82b78.jpg

img.photobucket.com/albums/v172/Coochee/NZGOLD/NZ%20Hardrock%20mine%20X/959d896e.jpg

img.photobucket.com/albums/v172/Coochee/NZGOLD/NZ%20Hardrock%20mine%20X/056d422d.jpg

img.photobucket.com/albums/v172/Coochee/NZGOLD/NZ%20Hardrock%20mine%20X/fa02a0d3.jpg

Regards,
Rob (RKC)

[Deleted]

Cant argue with that ;D
May take the heat off us they will be too busy fighting the big boys.
you're right it going to be fun watching. Nice pics

[aucn]

agree not much for us ..

but worth while to put a submission in,
with your views on doc areas , loosing of mineral reserves etc..
role of small miners in local economy..
tightening legislation to stop blanket real estating on prospecting permits
ie have a max. area limit and mandatory dropping of area ..
only have prospecting permit for 2 years no renewal ....areas of interest then must be covered with exploration permit which should have an even smaller max. area..
this would allow more turnover of ground with fresh ideas being applied
to the prospecting and exploration of the areas from different parties
== this would ..
;D more money to the crown re application fees..

might land on deaf ears but more of us small operators who submit might just hit the right spot..

also raise the dropping under labour of the set time limit for renewal of permits this allows the application to wallow around for an indefinite period..

could be covered under Q 7
Q7 On any other issues

www.med.govt.nz/upload/71967/Schedule%204%20stocktake%20-%20Discussion%20paper%20_without%20maps_.pdf

ken

[RKC]

G'day aucn,

My initial thoughts are to put in a submission suggesting that live rivers be excluded from the Mining and Exploration Permits applied for by large multi-national mining companies who have no interest in the rivers. Or, that there be a provision in a Mining or Exploration Permit so individual miners can apply for a Mining Permit over a live river that may be within the area of a large companies Mining or Exploration Permit area.

Or possibly a submission could be made encompassing the entire issue of professional eductor dredging so the problems dredgers face can be examined by government again.

Regards,
Rob (RKC)

[Deleted]

Hi Rob,
Couldnt agree more they have no use of rivers for mining other than a water supply. I am going to put in a submission but take your thoughts a step further in leaving all alluvials to NZ nationals. We have the expertise and the plant is affordable (compared to hard rock). We have a history of being world leaders in alluvial mining and are being sold down the river so to speak ;D by succesive governments giving away our resources to multinationals

[RKC]

G'day Homesouth,

Good point about the alluvials. I wonder what the policy of the West Coast Commercial Gold Miners Association is on this ... or if they have even considered it!

After looking at the areas proposed, all that mystifies me is why there is not much more Schedule 4 land being opened for prospecting. It seems strange that some parts of Kahurangi national park are not being looked at. The dredging claim on the Slate river that ends at the boundary of the Kahurangi National Park is presently being dredged (as I was told just recently) and even though a lot of the Slate was dredged in the late 80s and early 90s it must still be a viable dredging proposition. I was once told that when the dredgers left the Slate (with most going to the Buller) they could still get an easy half ounce a day.

As regards the auriferous areas around Thames, there is a potentially very rich dredging proposition waiting to be exploited. The shore line around Thames is composed of tailings from the numerous stamper batteries of earlier years and is richly auriferous. There has been an attempt in the past to dredge it which was not particularly successful. But these days the technology is so much better for capturing the extremely fine gold that is laying in the Thames estuary and this would now make it viable.

Another dredging proposition that was floated just a few years ago was to mine the Coromandel (town) harbor area where it has been known for a long time that a rich deposit exists.

Regards,
Rob (RKC)

[Deleted]

Wonder if those tailings have been checked for mercury? You could apply to the regional council to remove any AND GET PAID FOR IT gold being a quiet by product ;D
Who would iI contact with the west coast miners or do you have a contact you could mention it to. As you can tell from my grumpy posts its a bit of hot topic with me

[RKC]

G'day Homesouth,

The miners assoc would be best contacted through Minerals West Coast
www.mineralswestcoast.co.nz/

I hadn't thought about mercury being in the tailings from the Thames estuary. Another Coromandel Peninsular potential dredging proposition I thought of today would be the Ohinemuri River which had tons and tons of tailings deposited in it.
img.photobucket.com/albums/v521/NZGOLD/Gold%20batterys/0a8a2daf.jpg?t=1269310523

Regards,
Rob (RKC)

[RKC]

El Dorado many years away yet

www.stuff.co.nz/business/3498016/El-Dorado-many-years-away-yet

Regards,
Rob (RKC)