With an election looming, politics and mining policy are likely to be off the agenda at this year's annual three-day mining conference in Queenstown, which is hosting more than 300 delegates.
To a backdrop of global uncertainty and massive volatility in mining stocks, companies at this year's conference of the New Zealand branch of the Institute of Mining and Metallurgy (AusIMM) are expected to focus on clamping down on crucial production costs and balancing exploration potential against growth expectations.
Last year's conference in November was held during the Pike River Coal mining tragedy, which took the lives of 29 men.
This weekend delegates will meet under the continued pall of global uncertainty as the US and European nations see-saw between "recession on" and "recession off". Mining stocks have been hit hard whenever demand wobbles are identified.
Two years ago, when Queenstown last hosted the AusIMM conference, National announced its ill-fated proposal to consider mining on up to 7000ha of schedule 4 protected conservation land, prompting a back-down in July last year in the wake of mounting conservationist and public condemnation.
In 2009 Gerry Brownlee, Cabinet heavyweight and Energy and Resources Minister, lauded the schedule 4 proposal and potential economic benefits of many billions of dollars. This weekend, recent appointee Hekia Parata will take the podium as Acting Minister of Economic Development, Energy and Resources.
Policy, regulation and the Resource Management Act will no doubt be on the agenda in some form with the New Zealand Minerals Industry Association and lobby group Straterra, but among the almost 80 presentations there are environmental issues covering mine water management, the effect of geological risks and the taking of mine concepts through to the resource consent application stage.
Oceana Gold and Newmont Waihi Gold have been benefiting as spot gold prices edged briefly through a record $US1900 ($NZ2286) earlier this week, but spiralling production costs have been eating away at margins.
Of specific interest in the South will be presentations by Oceana Gold; L&M Group on its Earnscleugh gold project and L&M Energy's western Southland exploration; Solid Energy; Bathurst Resources and several high-profile speakers from the University of Otago.
There are more than 250 registrations so far, with up to 300 expected during the conference, including more than 30 representatives from Australia and a small number of Canadians.
The conference begins tonight and ends on Tuesday.
- Reporter Simon Hartley is a guest of AusIMM.
