Minerals West Coast Forum 2023
Minerals West Coast’s forum is set to be held in Westport on the 17th of May 2023.
The lineup of speakers and presentations will allow attendants to hear from the likes of Westland Mineral Sands and TiGa (formerly Barrytown JV), both of whom are in the process of developing and commercialising the West Coast’s mineral sand resources (containing minerals such as ilmenite and garnet) for extraction and export.
Attendants will also be able to hear the latest from various miners in the process of exploration and mine establishment in the Reefton gold field, such as Terra Firma Mining, Siren Gold, Reefton Gold, and Federation Mining, which is working to re-establish gold extraction from the Birthday Reef beneath Waiuta via its Snowy River mine site.
For all forum information including the full itinerary and ticket purchasing details please visit the event page on Minerals West Coast’s website by
No new mines on conservation land
The government remains unclear in relation to its stance on new mines on public conservation land. This almost six years on from the commitment to “no new mines on conservation land” first being made in the governor general’s 2017 speech from the throne following the 2017 general election.
In February it emerged that the government may be considering implementing the ban this year, with confirmation from a government spokesperson to media such as the Greymouth Star and 1News that policy options were being progressed through cabinet and that a bill was being drafted.
Speaking to 1News on the 5th of February, both the then newly sworn in prime minister Chris Hipkins and newly sworn in conservation minister, Willow Jean-Prime gave no confirmation as to when any such policy would be finalised. Minerals West Coast’s manager, Patrick Phelps, also spoke in the 1News story, which can be viewed below, or on 1News’s website by clicking here.
Conservation minister, Willow Jean-Prime, spoke of the issue again recently in a Stuff article titled Pounamu slows Labour’s ban on mining on conservation land, in which she gave no commitments to implementing any such ban prior to the 2023 general election. simply saying that “significant policy work is ongoing”, and that “final decisions on any bill have not been taken”.
Minerals West Coast will continue to advocate for miners being able to apply for access to public conservation land.
An online campaign by way of a video (see below) backed up with supporting information on Minerals West Coast’s website was carried out in late 2022 and early 2023, and accrued a total of 1.6 million views across social media platforms such as YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.
More work of this nature will be carried out over the course of 2023.
Submission on changes to the Crown Minerals Act and Resource Management Act
Minerals West Coast has submitted on two separate pieces of policy consultation in recent months.
The first of which is the Crown Minerals Amendment Bill, which seeks to make some small but potentially significant changes to the Crown Minerals Act. Minerals West Coast’s written submission on the Crown Minerals Amendment Bill, lodged in in late January, can be read in full here.
Minerals West Coast’s manager, Patrick Phelps, spoke to this submission when appearing before select committee assessing these reforms. To see this oral submission to the Economic Development, Science and Innovation Committee, view the video below.
In early February, Minerals West Coast also lodged its submission on the Natural and Built Environment Bill, and the Spatial Planning Bill, both of which will eventually replace the Resource Management Act. Minerals West Coast’s full submission can be found here.
Civil Contractors New Zealand drinks and nibbles at Paroa Hotel, Wednesday 5th of April
Civil Contractors New Zealand are inviting Minerals West Coast’s members to to join them for free drinks, food, and entertainment at the Paroa Hotel on Wednesday the 5th of April.
Presentations and talk will be given from Eve Cooper of Civil Contractors New Zealand, as well as updates from the Institute of Quarrying and Minerals West Coast.
CPD points will be available to CoC holders through attendance of this event, with 1.5 hours able to be claimed.
Attendants are invited to arrive about 5:00pm for a 5:30pm start.
For more information and to register (free of charge) please visit the page on CCNZ’s website by clicking here.
