This morning, a group of protesters led by the Maori hapu, Ngati Hau, blocked State Highway 1 for 2 hours. Traffic had to take a 28km detour through winding roads. Police could not stop the protesters blocking the road because they were standing on Maori land.
They were protesting about a mining company wanting to explore for gold and silver. The company plans to drill a number of holes in the Puhipuhi Hills in Northland to test if there are any signs of gold or silver. The worry, according to the protesters, is that the soil is rich in mercury and in the past, the soil has caused mercury pollution in the rivers. There are underground streams in the area.
The company says that drilling to look for gold and silver is no different from farmers drilling to find water for a well.
Protesters included dairy farmers and local people. They say that if the government does not listen to them, they will block the road again.
Vocabulary
- hapu – tribe, family group
- detour – alternative route, not the easiest way
- winding – not straight, lots of bends
- explore – look for
- rich in mercury – a high mercury content, has a lot of mercury in it
- mercury – chemical formula Hg
- stream – small river
- well (n) – hole in the ground filled with water