Protestors turn out against Coromandel mining

I attended this protest, I am not paid by the taxpayer (thank you atrout) and the protest was on a Sunday which meant that people with Mon-Fri jobs could attend. Please tell me how I am going to get "technology, medical science and the rest of so-called civilization" by mining for GOLD in CONSERVATION land on the COROMANDEL PENINSULA. Our bush and our beaches are worth more to us as they are and we do not need to compromise them to facilitate an unsustainable and unethical industry.

How could anyone think of blowing more mines when the 29 miners died recently with an earthquarke that killed many people of ChristChurch.. Too much bloodshed in this country to even thinking about blowing mines-up..Get bloody real.. Farming and milking helps keep New Zealand in good health and also keep the world healthy $$$$ and the tourist into the country more $$$$.. New Zealand is the best healthy country to survive the world with the real kiwi beef and milk, whoever run this country has no idea how to survive..Get real..

Bloody Hippies always standing in the path of progress. Just start the machinery and drive straight through them for christ sake. Exactly what threat do they pose? are you afraid they are going to beat you with their sandles and tie you to a tree with Nandoors dreadlocks? Well said James J.Read

Isn't that inspirational!!!! A rag tag group of people who are mainly paid by the taxpayer to protest an essential activity. The very laptop that they use to protest on line would not exist without mining. But maybe they are just happy that some third world country which doesn't have our controls and regulations is going to ripped apart to provide these idle sods with the means to their existence. Get real for once- let's have some suggestions from these people of how to provide them with technology, medical science and the rest of so-called civilization through wise use of resources. They use technology every minute of the day to maintain their quality of life and yet they'd have mining only occur overseas. Oh, yes, they do use the argument that all the profits go overseas anyway. So would they be in agreement with mining occurring responsibly here if more of the profits stayed in NZ??? I don't think so!!!! They really do constitute a clique of ignorance and self indulgence. Why is this protest all possible??? It is because we live in a democracy which tolerates fringe opinion while the rest of the country gets on and works their butts off paying the bills- even some of their parents do their part for the country....

Tourism brings many more jobs and more money to the Whangamata Area than mining ever will and it is this sustainable tourist industry that will be directly threatened by more mines. To say that mining will bring huge returns to NZ is ridiculous. Martha Mine at Waihi doesnt even pay royalties! The newer underground mine at Favona pays 2% royalties the money goes to Newmont an American company with an apalling track record overseas of environmental care. If Waihi is an example of prosperity after all the years it has had a gold mine then we are really in trouble. Low housing values, high unemployment. Mining is not NZ's answer to economic recovery and brings with it a legacy of toxic tailings that remain forever- long after the miners have gone with their takings.

Why is this discussion always full of idiots from both sides. Put economics first and mining makes no since. Yes we need minerals, yes we need wealth. But no studies anywhere show that the few dollars mining can create will come anywhere near tp making up for the lost jobs, tourism dollars and on sales of New Zealand products that we gain because of our Bush reserves. Simple maths really the bush is worth more to the economy left alone than carved up for gold. If you care about economics leave teh bush alone. A great study was published here http://www.mfe.govt.nz/publications/sus-dev/clean-green-image-value-aug01/ if you cant be bothered read it dont pretend to understand this issue

It was good that so many Greenies and their carbon footprint travelled to the Coromandal to protest about mining. The thought of school leavers and others in the district getting jobs is to horrible to contemplate.It is sad that it takes the city dwellers to make Coromandal folk realise that they shouldn't want jobs.

If there is going to be any mining or drilling for oil it should be done by New Zealand owned companies not foreign companies who are going to take the profit out of NZ.

Yeah lets leave the gold in the ground.
But hang on I want the govt to fund roads and hospitals and schools and I want more take home pay.
Where do we get it.
Oh yeah silly just borrow some more.
Go hard New Zealand break that bank!!

@James. There is a difference between 66 people walking through the forest and full industrial-scale drilling into the earth. Furthermore I highly doubt the wooden signs they used were made from native NZ bush, in fact they were probably made from cheap sustainable pine. Nice 'intelligence' buddy.