Increasing attention is
being focussed worldwide on the strategic environmental assessment of mining
projects, including consideration of cumulative environmental effects. In
New
Zealand there is now an end in sight for
inappropriate delays in resource consent approval of responsible mining
projects. This paper investigates six case examples of recently consented mining
and quarrying projects, whose applications were notified. It also explores the
nature of delays that occurred, the factors that contributed to the delays, and
whether the consent process delivered fair and effective public participation
and desirable environmental outcomes.