Gerry Brownlee

Wellington, Feb 26 NZPA - A report prepared for the Government proposes opening 500 million hectares of conservation land to mining, it was reported today.

In Parliament on Tuesday, Energy Minister Gerry Brownlee said a discussion paper on proposed changes would go out for consultation early next month.

Mr Brownlee last year controversially started a stock take of valuable minerals in conservation land protected under schedule four of the Crown Minerals Act.

In his opening statement to Parliament this month, Prime Minister John Key said a discussion paper had been done and would recommend some land be removed from the schedule and other areas be added.

He expected "significant changes" to go ahead.

Radio New Zealand (RNZ) today reported that 7 percent of schedule four land was recommended to have protection removed to allow mining.

However it understood the Government thought that was too extreme and had scaled back the area, in a proposal to be considered by Cabinet on Monday, to 7000ha.

Mr Brownlee would not confirm the details when asked by RNZ.