Business South August 2020

26 | Volume 29 | Issue 4 businesssouth Christchurch & Tauranga | 0800 111 942 | www.industrialbrake.co.nz Proven Supplier of Aftermarket Parts • Forestry • Mining • Earthmoving 100% NEW ZEALAND OWNED Proud to support themining industry on theWest Coast. Gri en and Smith - Serving Coasters for over 150years. Waterwalk Road, Greymouth | Ph. 03 769 9036 | www.mitre10.co.nz Mon-Fri 7.30am-5.00pm | Sat-Sun/Public Holidays 8.30am-5-00pm “The use of coal makes production of dairy, meat, and fresh fruit and vegetables possible, while staying competitive with imports domestically and competitors internationally.” MINING - WEST COAST» Minerals West Coast MWC - mining sector needs more certainty The mining industry brings enormous benefits to the West Coast. • from page 24 “The use of coal makes production of dairy, meat, and fresh fruit and vegetables possible, while staying competitive with imports domestically and competitors internationally. “New Zealand produces food which boasts a smaller carbon footprint than most other producers in the world, and coal is crucial to doing so.” Another concern for MWC is the long-term loss of the specialist skills and a qualified workforce, which is again exacerbated by the current uncertainty in the industry. “That is a big concern. The fact is when mine jobs go the people who have skills generally go too – they don’t stay around. “They go to jobs overseas or go to work on projects in other parts of the country. “Retaining those skills and developing them in younger people is vital to the industry’s future here – mining is an aging workforce and we need to have the next generation of workers coming through.’ “There is a lot of pride in the industry – people work hard and they are proud of what they do, and they should be. It is a hard industry to work in but it’s well rewarded.” Patrick says the West Coast is still rich in resources and there is plenty of potential outside of the traditional coal and gold with highly valuable rare earth minerals. “A low carbon economy needs wind turbines, solar panels, batteries, and electric cars. Many minerals will be needed. “The rare earth minerals sector on the coast is largely untapped. “A lot of work needs to be done to see what that resource is like and how economic it is to extract. “Is there a substantial resource? Hard to say. Give geologists, investors, and miners the freedom to have a crack and we’ll see what happens”. Overall, Patrick says he is optimistic about the mining/quarrying sector’s future on the coast, despite the many challenges that lie ahead. “The industry will always be under great scrutiny and we accept that, but it’s come a long way. Mining’s history in the region is due to pioneering, adaptation, and innovation, and that will certainly be the case in the future.”