Mining key to NZ economic recovery - ACT

ACT leader Rodney Hide believes mining is the solution to New Zealand's economic woes but says environmental activists are "killing off jobs".

Speaking at the party's annual conference in Auckland today, Mr Hide said the country was facing tough times and was not taking advantage of its mineral resources.

The Government triggered controversy last March when it proposed opening up 7000ha of conservation land in the Coromandel, Great Barrier Island and Paparoa National Park to prospecting for valuable minerals.

The land is protected against mining under schedule four of the Crown Minerals Act, and the proposal provoked furious opposition from the public and conservation lobby groups.

In July, the Government U-turned and announced it would not mine on schedule four land.

Mr Hide said the Government had "lost its nerve", and New Zealand never got the chance to see what wealth might be available.

"It wasn't about mining, wasn't about digging or drilling. Just looking to see what was there so that we could make an informed decision," Mr Hide said.

"But the simple suggestion that we 'have a look to see what potential wealth we have' alarmed those who rate a few trees more important than the chance for a decent livelihood for working people."

Mr Hide also blamed tough environmental requirements for developments, saying they were so tough many projects never got off the ground.

"Or, as we have seen with Pike River, they end up with absurdly restrictive rules regarding environmental impacts on conservation land, so that options such as open cast mining are taken off the table.

"We end up mining at great additional cost and much increased risk."

The deaths of 29 men following explosions at the West Coast mine last November were a tragedy and a waste, Mr Hide said.

"Not long after that disaster, we heard that Government was considering whether this mine should be open cast after all. And with $10 billion of resource underground, surely we should have the ability to mine, open cast if necessary, and then repair any damage done when we have finished."

Former National leader Don Brash also touched on the issue of mining when he spoke at the two-day conference on Saturday, saying politicians often blamed the disparity in living standards between New Zealand and Australia on the wealth of minerals across the Tasman.

"What's more, we too have an enormous wealth of resources -- including many minerals, even if we make a virtue of not using them," Dr Brash said.

"It's simply cop-out, defeatist nonsense to claim that we can't match Australian incomes because of their mineral wealth."

Police Minister Judith Collins, of National, also spoke at the conference, discussing the Government's changes to law and order.

She noted in particular the Sentencing and Parole Reform Bill, which incorporated significant aspects of ACT's three strikes policy to allow violent criminals to be given a maximum sentence with no parole for their third conviction.

"The legislation has had its critics who argued that it breached the rights of offenders. Well, I'm happy for victims to take precedence," Ms Collins said.

ACT has been polling poorly after a tough 18 months, during which MP Heather Roy was controversially toppled as deputy leader in favour of John Boscawen and David Garrett was forced to resign after it was revealed he fraudulently obtained a passport in a dead child's name 26 years ago.

As well, Mr Hide, who made his reputation as a perk-buster, was criticised after taking his then girlfriend Louise Crome -- who he has since married -- on a taxpayer-funded holiday to Hawaii. He subsequently repaid the funds.

The party is polling between 1.5 percent and 2 percent, a rating which would cut its representation in Parliament from five to two -- provided Mr Hide can retain his Epsom seat.

NZPA PAR ar