Coromandel Watchdog of Hauraki is an
environmental organisation
An environmental organization is an organization coming out of the conservation or environmental movements
that seeks to protect, analyse or monitor the environment against misuse or degradation from human forces.
In this sense the environme ...
lobbying in opposition to mining on the
Coromandel Peninsula
The Coromandel Peninsula () on the North Island of New Zealand extends north from the western end of the Bay of Plenty, forming a natural barrier protecting the Hauraki Gulf and the Firth of Thames in the west from the Pacific Ocean ...
in New Zealand.
The Coromandel Peninsula is an area of high scenic values due to the presence of the original forest cover and a coastline that is popular for recreation. Goldmining has been carried out since the late 19th century. To the south of the peninsula the
Martha Mine
The Martha Mine is a gold mine in the New Zealand town of Waihi. Since July 2015 it has been owned by OceanaGold.
History
William Nicholl marked out a claim, calling it "Martha" after a family member. Several smaller claims were later merged ...
at Waihi is still operating.
Coromandel Watchdog began protests and lobbying in the 1970s against the activities of mining companies. It was instrumental in having conservation land on the Coromandel Peninsula protected under Schedule 4 of the
Crown Minerals Act.
In 2009, Watchdog was reactivated after a period of inactivity. The
National
National may refer to:
Common uses
* Nation or country
** Nationality – a ''national'' is a person who is subject to a nation, regardless of whether the person has full rights as a citizen
Places in the United States
* National, Maryland, c ...
-led Government was proposing the removal of up to of Coromandel land from Schedule 4. Coromandel Watchdog publicly stated that they would fight the proposal. In 2010 the government confirmed that no land would be removed from Schedule 4.
In 2020 the group opposed an underground gold mine proposed by
OceanaGold
OceanaGold Corporation (OceanaGold), previously named Macraes Mining Company and then GRD Macraes, is a gold mining and exploration company based in Vancouver, Canada and Brisbane, Australia
OceanaGold operates the Haile Gold Mine in the United ...
in the Wharekirauponga bush. The area is home to the critically-endangered
Archey's frog
Archey's frog (''Leiopelma archeyi'') is an archaic species of frog endemic to the North Island of New Zealand. It is one of only three extant species belonging to the taxonomic family Leiopelmatidae. It is found only in the Coromandel Peninsula ...
. Also in 2020 the group brought a judicial review of a decision to grant permission for OceanaGold to expand mining operations near
Waihi
Waihi is a town in Hauraki District in the North Island of New Zealand, especially notable for its history as a gold mine town.
The town is at the foot of the Coromandel Peninsula, close to the western end of the Bay of Plenty. The nearby res ...
, however they lost and were ordered to pay costs.
See also
*
Environment of New Zealand
The environment of New Zealand is characterised by an endemic flora and fauna which has evolved in near isolation from the rest of the world. The main islands of New Zealand span two biomes, Temperate climate, temperate and Subtropical climate ...
*
Mining in New Zealand
Mining in New Zealand began when the Māori people, Māori quarried rock such as argillite in times prior to European colonisation. Mining by Europeans began in the latter half of the 19th century.
New Zealand has abundant resources of coal, sil ...
*
Coromandel Gold Rush
References
External links
Coromandel Watchdog
Environmental organisations based in New Zealand
Thames-Coromandel District
Mining in New Zealand
{{NewZealand-org-stub