February 1, 2025 • 11 mins
The government has announced plans to double New Zealand's mineral exports to $3 billion in the next ten years.
The Critical Minerals List now includes 37 minerals, after the addition of gold and metallurgical coal.
NZ First's Shane Jones also took aim at big banks limiting lending to the fossil fuels industry, noting his support for the Australian Liberal-National Opposition's attempts to force banks to back the sector.
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Speaker 1 (00:05):
You're listening to the Weekend Collective podcast from News Talks EDB.
Speaker 2 (00:10):
The government has announced plans to double New Zealand's mineral
exports to three billion in the next ten years and
then the critical minerals Critical minerals list now contains thirty
seven minerals after the addition of gold and metallurgical coal.
New Zealand fest Shane Jones is also taken aim at
some of the big banks who are limiting lending to
the fossil fuels industry, noting his support for the Australian
(00:32):
Liberal National Oppositions attempts to force banks to back the
sector and Resource Minister Shane Jones Shane good afternoon.
Speaker 3 (00:40):
Hi folks, Greetings from the par North.
Speaker 2 (00:42):
Yes, good to talk to you. So this mining announcement,
you're looking at doubling export from one point five billion
to three billion, which in the context of GDP is
still a tiny fraction. Is the headline more exciting than
the numbers?
Speaker 3 (00:58):
Well, the reality is our economies like a quiver of arrows.
Unless every arrow strikes a target, they are going to
be various regions that never had the chance to use
the enjowment that comprises key features of their economy. So
if it's so Pargo, if it's parts of they Plenty
(01:21):
and White Kadow, if it's parts of the West Coast,
we need mining because in those localities, the headline is
actually dwarfed by the reality.
Speaker 2 (01:31):
Yeah, what about the conservation land, because there are different
categories of conservation land that there is a lot of
rhetoric around how it's sacrilege to be doing it on
conservation land. What can you say to people who hear
those headlines and are concerned about it.
Speaker 3 (01:46):
Well, we have about a third of New Zealand and
Docker State. We don't generate enough revenue as a nation
to look after thoroughly the Docker State. So far, too
much dockland has been locked up and treated as some
type of ecological Vatican state. The Stewardship land, which is
(02:11):
a category of land administered by DOC it's not dock land.
It's largely overrun by rats and reasels and states, and
that will be made available for mining if I have
my way. It's already subject to mining, and there's lots
of sites where quarrying and the host of other mining
activities take place on the dock State, and people shouldn't
(02:33):
fret and get too concerned about national parks. The government
has never even said that's going to open up national
parks to mining at all, And I just think quite
a lot of that feedback is deliberate mischief making by
the green groupies who go out of their way to
try and undermine capitalism.
Speaker 2 (02:55):
What is the most what is the best argument you
have heard against your position when it comes to those
who don't like mining. What is the most effective criticism
that you think you to overcome.
Speaker 3 (03:07):
Well, misinformation is very difficult to overcome, especially when you
have groups like Greenpeace, who, whatever you might think about
their brand, their capacity to spread mischief and to store
facts is legendary. So obviously the ability of them to
(03:30):
outwait a government. I mean, we have to seek a
renewal of our credentials every three years, and obviously the
investors and people associated with mining, they want to have
a greater level of confidence that their impartments will go
well into the future. I think it's important that the
(03:51):
guard rails are not only robust, but we can physically
and practically demonstrate that the mining apocryphal stories of the
past are precisely that they're of the past, and it's
obviously a heavy burden to bear, but the mining companies
at every opportunity need to be forward leaning and drive
(04:14):
to newspapers. The rehabilitation of former mining sites can happen
to a point where the land looks prettier than how
it originally appeared.
Speaker 2 (04:26):
Do you ever try to actually win your opposition over
or is it the case of them ever going to
change and you just simply try to combat their message
with the general public.
Speaker 3 (04:36):
Well, I think all politicians have to bring forward a
mix of skills. Number one is their acts prevail. Number
two is try and find arguments that resonate with the public.
And number three has shifted the pendulum by deploying a rhetoric.
And I am Parliament's most famous rhetorician, as you well know.
(04:59):
Well that was people to get annoyed with me about
maybe being a bit two be here, I'm Freddie the Frog.
But the purpose was to cause Kiwis to know and
see that there has to be a trade off. We
need to find economic opportunities for our regional community, so
they shouldn't be frustrated by the old lizard or frog.
Speaker 2 (05:22):
Actually I had a different way of phrasing that question
before I asked it, which was actually acknowledging that you're
well known for rhetoric. But sometimes that doesn't necessarily win
people over, even though it might be fun. Do you
sometimes sort of look back and go, maybe I should
have put that differently.
Speaker 3 (05:36):
Oh mate, I'm a politician. None of us, none of
us are biblical.
Speaker 2 (05:43):
I don't know what that means. But anyway, let's march on.
Is there a sort of mining that would concern you
if you were looking at the way our land is
being utilized?
Speaker 3 (05:54):
Well, even chloring sites have to be well managed, and
you wouldn't want to introduce heavy, a chemical written, dangerous
chemical ridden water back into the environment, trailing gams places
(06:14):
to stom water. I mean, obviously, when you do gold,
the cyanide element is important, but once it's exposed to
sunlight through a post mining process, it basically breaks down.
So that's an important thing because Kivus are very conscious
that water is an incredibly important results.
Speaker 2 (06:39):
In some of the words in opposition. Quoting Catherine Delahunty's
chair of Comramandal watchdog of Hodaki, the language she use
talks about deep scars on the land, a toxic legacy
nineteenth century approach to mining. Are any of those concerns
real or just rhetoric?
Speaker 3 (06:56):
Well, Catherine Delahunty has got a tremendous track record of
using her voice at full throttle where the volume is
adversely related to the facts. Now Kiwis are conscious that enciremantle,
there have been some minding dissenters. Many of them are unemployed,
(07:21):
a host of them are former hippies, and they don't
believe in capitalism. So how on earth do they think
that New Zealand is going to build new hospitals, maintain
schools and create fresh opportunities for the next generation. So
their type of negative nihilistic thinking is quite frankly so
(07:45):
nineteen sixties.
Speaker 2 (07:47):
What about just members of the public who the words
fast track always maybe raise people's antennas. What would you
say to people who are concerned about the use of
the fast track process.
Speaker 3 (08:00):
Well, let's not catastrifize matters. Let's wait and see as
to how the legislation works in practice. We already have
past tracked legislation. It was passed by Labor and most
of my critics are Green voters, and a host of
(08:21):
them are these cream puffs from Metropolitan New Zealand who
vote Labor and they refuse to accept that in regions,
mining is the lifeblood of small communities and why should
those communities be wiped off the economic landscape as they
were when the Labor government closed down the timber million
(08:47):
industry of the West Coast and never gave them an
alternative other than one hion one hundred million dollars, which
was a fraction of what the coast lost.
Speaker 2 (08:58):
What sort of public scrutiny will there be over future projects?
Speaker 3 (09:03):
Are the scrutiny will be significant because the investors, the managers,
the employees, they realize that they're a proxy for good
economic and environmental stewardship. I don't think anyone should I
mentioned that somehow we're going to have a host of
(09:24):
events like some Brazilian tailing damn collapsing. We in New
Zealand have very robust engineering standards and I've got every
confidence that the regulators will maintain that high quality of stewardship.
Speaker 2 (09:41):
Just on one final thing, with this lending to the
fossil fuels industry by banks or the lack of it,
isn't it sort of up to them as private businesses,
regardless of the hypocrisy. Will this work itself out simply
because where one bank denies lending, another one will step in.
Or do you think that needs to be government intervention
on this?
Speaker 3 (10:02):
Well, we're going to prepare a bill, and I'm confident
that once it becomes evident to my colleagues how the
banking industry is hell bent on driving important parts of
the farming industry out of existence. There and thrall to
(10:25):
climate group think. They've got all these sustainability units. They're
called an s ESG, some acronym which is close to
a kind of medical condition. That all of those units
are in our threat to the economic viability of regions.
They need to be disbanded as soon as possible. Of
(10:46):
the banks themselves all operating within the confines of a
statutory license, nothing about that license gives them the authority
to arbitrarily impose their luxury beliefs or their virtuous priorities
upon God viewing kiwis that is not why they exist.
Speaker 2 (11:04):
So it's I legal work already there to sort this
issue out. Or will you actually have to pass something specifically?
Speaker 3 (11:12):
Yes, So we are going to establish a private member's
bill and that bill will outline after considerable cross Chasman
discussions outline ways in which both economies can benefit by
(11:34):
a more pragmatic and use a friendly banking system.
Speaker 2 (11:40):
Excellent. Hey Shane, I really appreciate your time this afternoon.
Thanks so much. That is Shane Jones, Resources Minister.
Speaker 1 (11:46):
For more from the Weekend Collective, listen live to News
Talk z'd be weekends from three pm, or follow the
podcast on iHeartRadio
You're listening to the Weekend Collective podcast from News Talks EDB.
Speaker 2 (00:10):
The government has announced plans to double New Zealand's mineral
exports to three billion in the next ten years and
then the critical minerals Critical minerals list now contains thirty
seven minerals after the addition of gold and metallurgical coal.
New Zealand fest Shane Jones is also taken aim at
some of the big banks who are limiting lending to
the fossil fuels industry, noting his support for the Australian
(00:32):
Liberal National Oppositions attempts to force banks to back the
sector and Resource Minister Shane Jones Shane good afternoon.
Speaker 3 (00:40):
Hi folks, Greetings from the par North.
Speaker 2 (00:42):
Yes, good to talk to you. So this mining announcement,
you're looking at doubling export from one point five billion
to three billion, which in the context of GDP is
still a tiny fraction. Is the headline more exciting than
the numbers?
Speaker 3 (00:58):
Well, the reality is our economies like a quiver of arrows.
Unless every arrow strikes a target, they are going to
be various regions that never had the chance to use
the enjowment that comprises key features of their economy. So
if it's so Pargo, if it's parts of they Plenty
(01:21):
and White Kadow, if it's parts of the West Coast,
we need mining because in those localities, the headline is
actually dwarfed by the reality.
Speaker 2 (01:31):
Yeah, what about the conservation land, because there are different
categories of conservation land that there is a lot of
rhetoric around how it's sacrilege to be doing it on
conservation land. What can you say to people who hear
those headlines and are concerned about it.
Speaker 3 (01:46):
Well, we have about a third of New Zealand and
Docker State. We don't generate enough revenue as a nation
to look after thoroughly the Docker State. So far, too
much dockland has been locked up and treated as some
type of ecological Vatican state. The Stewardship land, which is
(02:11):
a category of land administered by DOC it's not dock land.
It's largely overrun by rats and reasels and states, and
that will be made available for mining if I have
my way. It's already subject to mining, and there's lots
of sites where quarrying and the host of other mining
activities take place on the dock State, and people shouldn't
(02:33):
fret and get too concerned about national parks. The government
has never even said that's going to open up national
parks to mining at all, And I just think quite
a lot of that feedback is deliberate mischief making by
the green groupies who go out of their way to
try and undermine capitalism.
Speaker 2 (02:55):
What is the most what is the best argument you
have heard against your position when it comes to those
who don't like mining. What is the most effective criticism
that you think you to overcome.
Speaker 3 (03:07):
Well, misinformation is very difficult to overcome, especially when you
have groups like Greenpeace, who, whatever you might think about
their brand, their capacity to spread mischief and to store
facts is legendary. So obviously the ability of them to
(03:30):
outwait a government. I mean, we have to seek a
renewal of our credentials every three years, and obviously the
investors and people associated with mining, they want to have
a greater level of confidence that their impartments will go
well into the future. I think it's important that the
(03:51):
guard rails are not only robust, but we can physically
and practically demonstrate that the mining apocryphal stories of the
past are precisely that they're of the past, and it's
obviously a heavy burden to bear, but the mining companies
at every opportunity need to be forward leaning and drive
(04:14):
to newspapers. The rehabilitation of former mining sites can happen
to a point where the land looks prettier than how
it originally appeared.
Speaker 2 (04:26):
Do you ever try to actually win your opposition over
or is it the case of them ever going to
change and you just simply try to combat their message
with the general public.
Speaker 3 (04:36):
Well, I think all politicians have to bring forward a
mix of skills. Number one is their acts prevail. Number
two is try and find arguments that resonate with the public.
And number three has shifted the pendulum by deploying a rhetoric.
And I am Parliament's most famous rhetorician, as you well know.
(04:59):
Well that was people to get annoyed with me about
maybe being a bit two be here, I'm Freddie the Frog.
But the purpose was to cause Kiwis to know and
see that there has to be a trade off. We
need to find economic opportunities for our regional community, so
they shouldn't be frustrated by the old lizard or frog.
Speaker 2 (05:22):
Actually I had a different way of phrasing that question
before I asked it, which was actually acknowledging that you're
well known for rhetoric. But sometimes that doesn't necessarily win
people over, even though it might be fun. Do you
sometimes sort of look back and go, maybe I should
have put that differently.
Speaker 3 (05:36):
Oh mate, I'm a politician. None of us, none of
us are biblical.
Speaker 2 (05:43):
I don't know what that means. But anyway, let's march on.
Is there a sort of mining that would concern you
if you were looking at the way our land is
being utilized?
Speaker 3 (05:54):
Well, even chloring sites have to be well managed, and
you wouldn't want to introduce heavy, a chemical written, dangerous
chemical ridden water back into the environment, trailing gams places
(06:14):
to stom water. I mean, obviously, when you do gold,
the cyanide element is important, but once it's exposed to
sunlight through a post mining process, it basically breaks down.
So that's an important thing because Kivus are very conscious
that water is an incredibly important results.
Speaker 2 (06:39):
In some of the words in opposition. Quoting Catherine Delahunty's
chair of Comramandal watchdog of Hodaki, the language she use
talks about deep scars on the land, a toxic legacy
nineteenth century approach to mining. Are any of those concerns
real or just rhetoric?
Speaker 3 (06:56):
Well, Catherine Delahunty has got a tremendous track record of
using her voice at full throttle where the volume is
adversely related to the facts. Now Kiwis are conscious that enciremantle,
there have been some minding dissenters. Many of them are unemployed,
(07:21):
a host of them are former hippies, and they don't
believe in capitalism. So how on earth do they think
that New Zealand is going to build new hospitals, maintain
schools and create fresh opportunities for the next generation. So
their type of negative nihilistic thinking is quite frankly so
(07:45):
nineteen sixties.
Speaker 2 (07:47):
What about just members of the public who the words
fast track always maybe raise people's antennas. What would you
say to people who are concerned about the use of
the fast track process.
Speaker 3 (08:00):
Well, let's not catastrifize matters. Let's wait and see as
to how the legislation works in practice. We already have
past tracked legislation. It was passed by Labor and most
of my critics are Green voters, and a host of
(08:21):
them are these cream puffs from Metropolitan New Zealand who
vote Labor and they refuse to accept that in regions,
mining is the lifeblood of small communities and why should
those communities be wiped off the economic landscape as they
were when the Labor government closed down the timber million
(08:47):
industry of the West Coast and never gave them an
alternative other than one hion one hundred million dollars, which
was a fraction of what the coast lost.
Speaker 2 (08:58):
What sort of public scrutiny will there be over future projects?
Speaker 3 (09:03):
Are the scrutiny will be significant because the investors, the managers,
the employees, they realize that they're a proxy for good
economic and environmental stewardship. I don't think anyone should I
mentioned that somehow we're going to have a host of
(09:24):
events like some Brazilian tailing damn collapsing. We in New
Zealand have very robust engineering standards and I've got every
confidence that the regulators will maintain that high quality of stewardship.
Speaker 2 (09:41):
Just on one final thing, with this lending to the
fossil fuels industry by banks or the lack of it,
isn't it sort of up to them as private businesses,
regardless of the hypocrisy. Will this work itself out simply
because where one bank denies lending, another one will step in.
Or do you think that needs to be government intervention
on this?
Speaker 3 (10:02):
Well, we're going to prepare a bill, and I'm confident
that once it becomes evident to my colleagues how the
banking industry is hell bent on driving important parts of
the farming industry out of existence. There and thrall to
(10:25):
climate group think. They've got all these sustainability units. They're
called an s ESG, some acronym which is close to
a kind of medical condition. That all of those units
are in our threat to the economic viability of regions.
They need to be disbanded as soon as possible. Of
(10:46):
the banks themselves all operating within the confines of a
statutory license, nothing about that license gives them the authority
to arbitrarily impose their luxury beliefs or their virtuous priorities
upon God viewing kiwis that is not why they exist.
Speaker 2 (11:04):
So it's I legal work already there to sort this
issue out. Or will you actually have to pass something specifically?
Speaker 3 (11:12):
Yes, So we are going to establish a private member's
bill and that bill will outline after considerable cross Chasman
discussions outline ways in which both economies can benefit by
(11:34):
a more pragmatic and use a friendly banking system.
Speaker 2 (11:40):
Excellent. Hey Shane, I really appreciate your time this afternoon.
Thanks so much. That is Shane Jones, Resources Minister.
Speaker 1 (11:46):
For more from the Weekend Collective, listen live to News
Talk z'd be weekends from three pm, or follow the
podcast on iHeartRadio
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