By Samantha Hayes
Actors Lucy Lawless and Robyn Malcolm have launched Greenpeace's campaign against mining in national parks.
The Government plans to open up 3,000ha of previously protected land, for mining.
Ms Lawless and Ms Malcolm condemn coal mining as a Dark Ages practice that will threaten the tourist industry.
Ms Lawless launched the campaign at the Punakaiki Pancake Rocks, 50km southwest of the proposed mining sites. She asked tourists what they thought of coal mining in the Paparoa National Park – one said it would "ruin" New Zealand's legacy.
But it was Outrageous Fortune star Robyn Malcolm who fronted up to Greymouth's pro-mining mayor Tony Kokshoorn and asked why the West Coast needs more coal mines.
"New Zealand's production of coal is a drop in the bucket compared to other nations," argued Mr Kokshoorn. "Look at China and Australia, at what they produce."
Ms Malcolm countered that New Zealand is a small country that relies so much on tourism.
Mr Kokshoorn however says Greenpeace is "stirring", and the Resource Management Act will take care of the environment.
"I think they're really scaremongering the public into thinking that we're going to get our chainsaws back out, get our diggers back out and go into the bush and ruin it," he says, "but look, West Coasters do not want that, we love our rainforests, we love our environment, it's pristine."
Ms Malcolm says New Zealand needs to look to clean energy.
"When you burn coal you create emissions, which are devastating because of climate change."
Greenpeace is hoping its ambassadors will generate public support for its anti-mining campaign, which culminates in a march in Auckland on May 1.
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