Coromandel Watchdog of Hauraki

About

Coromandel Watchdog is a community organisation that works to protect the Coromandel Peninsula from mining.

Story

Watchdog was founded in 1979 when the price of gold went up and exploratory drilling activity was happening all over the peninsula.

Watchdog has and continues to lobby local and national government to legally protect these special areas, as well as using non-violent direct action to show mining companies they are not welcome on the Coromandel.

In 1997, as a result of Coromandel Watchdog’s activism, the Kopu-Hikuai road became the line that divided the protected from the unprotected. All conservation and coastal land below this line is not protected by Schedule 4.

2010 was a big year for Watchdog with a huge campaign alongside other environmental organizations and New Zealander’s to oppose the government’s proposal to remove areas from Schedule 4. The government backed down after over 40,000 submissions and a massive public protest march down Queen Street.

Despite our win with Schedule 4, mining is still a danger to the unique and special nature of our peninsula. Schedule 4 leaves out huge areas of conservation land in southern Coromandel and what’s more the price of gold is approaching US$2000 per ounce. The threat to the Coromandel has never been so real.

Find out how you can contribute by visiting http://watchdog.org.nz/action/join-us/

Mission

To work within Te Aroha-Moehau / Te Waka o Hauraki to stop all mining and sustain the special nature of this place.