By not mining vital minerals, NZ is ‘offshoring its own environmental footprint’ – is that fair?

By not mining vital minerals, NZ is ‘offshoring its own environmental footprint’ – is that fair?

Getty ImagesWhen Resources Minister Shane Jones recently unveiled his draft strategy for mineral mining, it was quickly criticised by the Labour opposition as “taking New Zealand backwards”. One environmental group even called it a “love letter to mining companies”. But the government’s ambition to double the sector’s export value to NZ$2 billion by 2035, with flow-on effects for local employment and regional economies, deserves a broader debate…