Mineral mining has a great economic benefit and this outweighs the effect on the environment. However, there are environmental effects and these need to be governed with care for our future. Mining Safety Laws within New Zealand are under scrutiny. The Pike River Tragedy has had a terrible human cost, in addition to the loss of life there will also be a significant economic impact on the immediate and wider community dependent on the Mine. In this report the economic effects of mining, both positive and negative are reviewed, and the extent of the effects of the Pike River disaster are scrutinized. My enquiry is based around mineral mining in New Zealand as a topic of interest currently in the News.
WHY IS MINING SUCH A HOT ISSUE?.
Mining in New Zealand has constantly been in the media in recent years. Most recently the Pike River Coal mine disaster (where twenty nine miners still remain entombed inside the mine) has put mining under the spotlight of the media and the scrutiny of a full Governmental enquiry. (Smellie, Patrick.(2010).Digging deep into stresses facing troubled coal mine; commercial impacts of disaster unknown; The road to Pike river: TimeLine. Dominion Post, 27 Nov 2010, p.b5-6 .)This has highlighted loopholes in the Laws that govern mining, safety standards and regulations in mining and economic effects that are the results of the domino fall out caused by Pike River. There has also always been controversy over the environmental impact of mining in New Zealand both positive and negative -Its effects on communities and the economy, both local and internationally (due to extract exports). .
WHY IS MINING BENEFICIAL TO THE COMMUNITY?.
Mining delivers over 2 Billion dollars each year into the New Zealand economy. (http://www.scoop.co.nz ). The economic spin- off from mining has a ripple effect from the immediate community where the mine is situated, to the wider Regional area and the remainder of the country.
