“An iwi group’s alleged demand for $180 million in order to approve the Bendigo Santana gold mine exposes how New Zealand’s resource management system has been warped by standover tactics and backroom dealing,” says ACT Resources spokesman Simon Court.
Kā Rūnaka say extracting $180 million from Santana has not been their ‘focus’, but they haven’t directly denied the report.
“It’s an outrage, but not one that surprises ACT,” says Mr Court. “Up and down the country, from minor subdivisions to major infrastructure, people are encountering standover tactics and sending me the receipts.
And this week:
Strong concerns have again been raised by iwi regarding a large gold mine in Central Otago proposed by Australian company Santana Minerals.
At a hearing of the Fast-track expert panel in Dunedin on Tuesday, Kā Rūnaka, made up of four rūnaka representing southern Ngāi Tahu hapū, said they opposed the controversial project in its present form.
They oppose it because the submitters refused to give them $180 million in exchange for them not opposing it.
This is why Iwi should have no special status when it comes to resource consents. They should have the same status as any other local group.
I also think any resource consent applicant should have to list all payments they have made to external groups, so we can see if they have been paying objectors off.
David Farrar runs Curia Market Research, a specialist opinion polling and research agency, and the popular Kiwiblog where this article was sourced. He previously worked in the Parliament for eight years, serving two National Party Prime Ministers and three Opposition.
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