Wellington, March 1 NZPA - The public will get a chance to express their view on changes to the conservation estate to allow mining later this month.

The Government last year carried out a stocktake of minerals in the conservation estate, and intended taking parts of it out of the schedule in the Crown Minerals Act which protect it from mining.

The plan caused an outcry, with the Green Party and environmental organisations strongly opposed to it.

Prime Minister John Key today said the issue was discussed by Cabinet today a discussion document would be finalised in the next two weeks which would look at which parts could be removed from protection.

He would not comment on a Radio New Zealand report that the Government had scaled back the area to be opened up. RNZ said 7 percent of schedule four land was recommended to have protection removed to allow mining but that had been scaled back dramatically.

"I would not want to prejudge the release of that discussion document except to say we think that there are opportunities to extend mining activity in New Zealand and it's been our belief that we can do so in a way that wouldn't damage our environmental or conservation credentials, nor damage New Zealand's overall 100 percent pure brand," Mr Key told reporters.

"In the last three or four months we have been working through that process to try and refine that, and I think we are getting very close to a discussion document that's worthy of being put in the public domain but I am not going to speculate about what it looks like until that discussion document's released."

Mr Key said the Government had done some polling on the idea around June last year.

"It actually showed what the public polls have generally showed, which is, generally speaking, there is support, it's not overwhelming but there is support. But I think like any sort of question it is caveated around what does look like and what does it actually mean."

The Government would consider "what we think is right and what is achievable" before making decisions.

Mr Key said some people would never accept opening the land up for mining but the public also wanted better public services and mining would help pay for them.

"That balance has to be appropriate reached between that and our conservation beliefs."

Only mining that did not substantially damage the areas would be allowed, he said. There were already 82 mining concessions on the conservation estate.

Mr Key did not think the move would jeopardise New Zealand's tourism industry.

"As the minister of tourism and having read the discussion document, my view is I am comfortable with the way its progressing."

The value of minerals in conservation land has been put at about $140 billion, but it could be much more than that.

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