Bell Block’s MP, Mr Jonathan Young vote in favour of doing tweaks to four-week-old mining legislation which enforce stronger restrictions on anti-mining protests at sea have passed through parliament under urgency. The amendments to the Crown Minerals Amendment Act passed a third reading on Saturday morning 18th May 2013 by 68 votes to 46. The original act, which was passed in April 2013 and comes into force on this coming Friday the 24th May 2013, deals with allocation of permits and aims to regulate the development of Crown-owned minerals. It also cracks down on anti-mining protests at sea. But the act had more than 20 errors and omissions which are addressed in the Crown Minerals Amendment Act (2013) Amendment Bill. The amendment bill alters the requirements for some permit applications, ensures recognition of mining licenses granted under old law and extends the area in which anti-mining protests are illegal to the seas over New Zealand’s continental shelf.
