John Carter

Wellington, July 20 NZPA - The possibility of mining in Northland will give the region a chance to contribute more to New Zealand, local MP John Carter says.

The Government today announced it was scrapping plans to open up 7000 hectares of conservation land in the Coromandel, Great Barrier Island and Paparoa National Park to prospecting for valuable minerals but that there would be more mining in other areas.

It will undertake an aeromagnetic survey in Northland and the South Island's West Coast's non-schedule four land to learn which areas have high concentrations of valuable minerals.

Mr Carter said he was "delighted" with the outcome for his region.

"I'm sure that the people of Northland will be pleased with the employment opportunities that may arise out of it as a consequence of the surveys that are being done," he said.

"It's a positive for us. It's a great opportunity for Northland to contribute more than we do to the rest of New Zealand."

Mr Carter commended Northland's local authorities for taking leadership on the issue by participating in the surveys.

The Far North District Council and Northland Regional Council will each contribute $100,000 to the cost of the aeromagnetic surveys, which will cover 12,480 sq km of the region.

The Government will contribute more than $2 million to the exercise.

"We could be sitting on a gold mine up here, and the potential in terms of economic growth, wealth and job creation is real and it's huge," Far North Mayor Wayne Brown said.

A preliminary survey had shown $39 billion of minerals in an area with high unemployment.

Northland Regional Council chairman Mark Farnsworth said his council was keen to establish what resources the region had, how they could be managed appropriately and how areas of environmental importance could be protected.

The results of the surveys would be made public, he said.

West Coast MP Chris Auchinvole, who had supported mining schedule four land, said he expected the region would embrace increased mining in the area, albeit outside of schedule four land.

The economy, environment, community and mining companies all had to be considered when reaching the right balance for the West Coast, and he believed his region had achieved the right balance.

"On the one hand it has spectacular (scenery) -- 87 percent of land is in the ... conservation estate," Mr Auchinvole said.

"But at the same time there is active mining and there is community buy-in to that."

Other areas did not have to deal with such a range of factors, he said.

Auckland Central MP Nikki Kaye, whose electorate includes Great Barrier Island and who had opposed mining there, said the decision showed the Government had listened to the people.

"I'm very pleased with the decision ... we've ended up with stronger environment protection with national parks having to be added to schedule four," she said.

"There will be a lot of people around New Zealand that are pleased with it."

Coromandel MP Sandra Goudie said the decision was "a clear way forward".