A meeting for Hauraki Maori has come out against the Government's proposal to open up conservation land to mining.
The Government is seeking submissions on the plan to allow mining on 7058 hectares of Crown land.
The proposal targets land in the Coromandel Peninsula in the North Island, the Inangahua sector of the Paparoa National Park in the South Island and on Great Barrier Island, representing about 0.2% of protected land.
Energy Minister Gerry Brownlee attended the hui in Thames on Wednesday and says there are seven areas on the Coromandel Peninsula covering 3000 hectares where there could be what he calls serious amounts of minerals.
The minister says it would be likely only 150 hectares would be closely investigated and between 50 and 75 hectares would probably ever be mined.
Mr Brownlee says the economy needs to grow and it is his responsibility to look at all possibilities.
Those at the hui spoke of the abhorrence of more mining, when past grievances have yet to be settled.
They told Mr Brownlee that Maori value the land, the environmental effects of past mining are still apparent and the legacy cannot be ignored.
About 100 anti-mining protesters gave the minister a noisy reception when he arrived for the meeting.
