The Red Hills Hut in Mount Richmond Forest Park is within the area that has been reopened. File photo.

A decision to accept applications to prospect for minerals on conservation land across Nelson and Marlborough has been labelled as "crazy" by Forest & Bird.

New Zealand Petroleum and Minerals, part of the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) recently reopened 7828km² across the top of the south for prospecting permits.

It had been closed for three years after a moratorium was put on accepting permit applications to allow regional aeromagnetic surveys and geochemical sampling to be carried out to assess the potential for mining minerals. Those restrictions were lifted on July 8.

Last November, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced there would be no new mines on conservation land.

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MARION VAN DIJK/STUFF The land in question is home to a number of threatened species, says Forest & Bird's Debs Martin.

Forest & Bird top of the south regional manager Debs Martin said the decision created expectations that were concerning, as it was likely overseas companies would be interested in prospecting.

"On one hand, the Prime Minister announced there would be no new mines on conservation land, but on the other hand we are announcing to the world that areas within conservation land were open for prospecting.

"They aren't going to be doing that for fun," Martin said.

"Then they will put pressure on Government and say 'why did you open this up for prospecting if you weren't ever going to mine it?'"

A permit would allow the holder the right to prospect for specified minerals and is restricted to low impact activities such as aerial surveys, geological mapping and hand sampling.

Martin said the area covered the Dun Mountain and Red Hills, in the Mount Richmond Forest Park, which were part of an ultramafic mineral belt that had unusual geology and provided habitat for a number of threatened species, which was "quite rare and very special".

It also included parts of the Kahurangi and Nelson Lakes national parks and the Howard Conservation area.

"It is quite a big broad brush that they have drawn across our region and it involves a lot of areas and it just seems so crazy."

Mining is prohibited on Schedule 4 land, which included national parks, but minimum impact activities such as geological, geochemical and geophysical surveying were permitted under the Crown Minerals Act.

"Conservation land is conservation land, it is not mining land," Martin said.

"No new mines on public conservation land should mean that, our biodiversity is in crisis."

Conservation Minister Eugenie Sage said that the timing of the moratorium ending was "unfortunate" given the work being done on the "no new mines on conservation land" policy.

In May, Sage said public input would be sought on proposals to enact the Government's policy. A consultation document has yet to be released and public consultation has yet to occur.

She said a prospecting permit from MBIE did not guarantee that the Department of Conservation would grant access to conservation land.

"Before the Department or Ministers allow access to conservation land for prospecting, exploration or any mining activity, the impacts the activity is likely to have on conservation values, such as unique ecosystems and wildlife."

CHRISTINE MCCORMACK Parts of the Kahurangi National Park are included in the area that has been opened up.

Low-impact prospecting had been permitted on conservation land in the past.

A MBIE spokesman said applications for prospecting permits opened on July 9 and to date, no applications had been received for the Nelson Marlborough area.

Acreage would be allocated on a first-come first-served basis. The first application to meet the criteria for an acceptable work programme would be granted the permit for the area.

Minerals permit applications need to meet the requirements of the Crown Minerals Act, but operators must also comply with the relevant environmental legislation – in this case the Resource Management Act regarding environmental impacts of the proposed activities.

Under the Act, regional councils are responsible for managing the effects of activities on the environment.

In the event of a minerals mining permit being granted, as above, the relevant environmental legislation would apply to manage the effects of activities on the environment.

It is possible for a minerals permits to be approved but a resource consent to be declined.

Forest & Bird chief executive Kevin Hague said the Dun Mountain and the Red Hills were a special part of Mt Richmond Forest Park that should never be opened to mining.

"The unusual geology creates a rich red in the rocks, and very specialised habitats for plants like giant forget-me-nots, geraniums, as well as stunted southern rata. Over a dozen threatened species flourish in this seemingly stark landscape and thousands of visitors enjoy the diversity as they walk this section of the national Te Araroa Trail."