back away from the dangerous animal

I'm not going to gloat - too much - but this is a great victory. They have seen the people and their anger and they have backed away from their dangerous plans to open up more of our most protected areas to mining. Thank you to all who contributed to this win. Now onto the next one, because their will be a next one. This backdown has drawn a line in the sand and that is good for opponents of this governments policies. It will be easier to get another line in the sand, and then another and before you know it, they will be gone. And whilst not wanting to get personal the biggest loser is gerry brownlee.

from Stuff

"Mr Brownlee and Conservation Minister Kate Wilkinson this morning announced that plans to allow mining on 7000 hectares of Schedule Four conservation estate land - which included parts of the Coromandel, Paparoa National Park and Great Barrier Island - had been permanently shelved."

"Mr Brownlee acknowledged the decision was influenced by the huge public outcry and concerns that controversy over allowing mining on a small area of the conservation estate would undermine an industry with "enormous potential''."

"... Greenpeace Senior Climate Campaigner Simon Boxer said the decision was "a heartening example of people power in action"."

"This is a historic victory for the record number of New Zealanders who stood up to protect our most treasured places and for a vision of a truly sustainable and progressive 21st century economy for New Zealand."

"... Forest & Bird advocacy manager Kevin Hackwell said the decision effectively created a cross-party consensus against mining on protected conservation land."

"''The decision is a victory for the tens of thousands of New Zealanders who marched in Auckland and other centres against the proposal and who sent almost 40,000 submissions during the consultation.''"

"... Green Party leader Metiria Turei has a private members bill in the ballot that would require such a change."

"Today's decision is a major embarrassment to the Government, whose senior ministers were touting mining earlier this year as one way to lift New Zealand's economic performance and help bring about a "step change"."

All very good and now we must raise our gaze to the oil and gas exploration and black sand mining and the various other ways they are trying to exploit our world and us.