Grey District's mayor says New Zealanders who worked in the tourism industry on the West Coast effectively saw their businesses vanish overnight due to Covid-19 and restrictions on other sectors means finding them new jobs is proving difficult.
Mayor Tania Gibson spoke to TVNZ1's Breakfast this morning about potential mining jobs for those on the West Coast, but current Covid-19 limitations mean those roles can't be filled.
"We have the answer right under our noses, really," Ms Gibson said.
"We have over 120 mining jobs that we could deploy within six months.
"We're good at what we do down here; we have a great, sustainable mining sector and they regenerate the land. They're the best in the world at what they do."
Watch the video above for Ms Gibson's full breakdown of the West Coast's mining industry and the current restrictions on it.
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