Waihī's Martha open cast mine. Photo: Google Earth
When the final decisions were made over which projects would get the go-ahead under the fast track provisions, 11 mining projects made it through.
Several gold and coal mines and three iron sand extraction projects.
Overall, 149 projects covering a wide variety of activities were selected by the government for what was called their significant regional or national benefits.
Environmentalists have been at the forefront of the debate over the mining projects in particular.
But Glenn Banks, a professor of Geography at Massey University, who also has decades of experience consulting on mining projects and mineral policy in the Pacific, says the economic returns are rarely interrogated.
He argues the environmental and economic debates are inseparable.
Industry representatives say the sector can help drive growth and that it provides substantial returns.
Kathryn is joined by Glenn Banks, Professor of Geography at Massey University, and Josie Vidal is the CEO of the New Zealand Minerals Council.
