‘How could they mine here?’ New Zealand grapples with new push for resource riches
Plan to double mineral exports by 2035 and proposed law to fast-track major projects stir fears over environmental impact
Stretching down New Zealand’s rugged West coast, the land is rich in natural wonders – from rainforests to rock formations stacked like slate pancakes and battered into shape by the pounding sea.
The coastal road winds south to a wide plain known as the Barrytown Flats, home to a vast deposit of minerals that prompted a 19th century gold rush.