Controversial West Coast Te Kuha Mine project has fast-track application declined
Photo:
Neil Silverwood
Te Kuha Mine on the West Coast has had its application for fast-track approval declined, after failing to meet seven of the application criteria.
The project has raised concerns over its impact on the environment and had already been rejected multiple times by the courts.
Now, a letter sent to the company behind the plan, Stevenson Mining, in March but only recently published, showed the application never got as far as the minister for final approval, with the Ministry for the Environment finding it did not comply with seven requirements in the Act.
Notably, it lacked an explanation of why the fast-track approvals process would enable it to be processed in a more timely and cost-effective way than under normal processes.
It did not consult with local authorities like Buller District Council, the Ministry for the Environment, Ministry for Business, Innovation and Employment and the Department of Conservation.
It did not address other approvals which would be needed for the project to go ahead, like access to land owned or administered by other parties, including KiwiRail, which runs the Stillwater to Ngākawau line near the proposed mine site.
Stevenson Mining has been approached for comment.
Te Kuha Coal Project would have created an opencut mine, with a footprint of 144 hectares, near Westport. It would have extracted some 4 million tonnes of coking coal - the kind used for making steel - over 16 years.
It would have necessitated a land swap with the Department of Conservation, as it overlapped with stewardship land.
The project had already been
rejected by the Supreme Court
in 2020
and the Environment Court
in 2023.
Adam Currie, campaigner for 350 Aotearoa, said it was welcome news.
"MfE declining it for now is a win for the environment," he said. "It's the process in this instance working as it's supposed to."
He said it showed the lack of regard for detail and process which mining companies often demonstrated.
"It's pretty incredible that companies are making these massive applications that have ginormous impacts on all these things, and they're just not thinking through these basic things."
But Patrick Phelps, manager of Minerals West Coast, said it was a new piece of legislation, and companies were "getting to grips with how it actually works".
Patrick Phelps, Minerals West Coast
Photo:
Supplied
"It's a novel process - any applicant, they don't fully know what the expectations are. They'll get the best advice, hydrology experts, and they'll put forward the best information that they can.
"While I'm disappointed that they haven't got over the line, I would simply say that that should be an indication to people that the fast-track process is not just a rubber stamp."
A spokesperson from the Ministry for the Environment said it generally did not comment on individual fast-track referral applications, but explained that it checked referral applications against the requirements of the Acts.
"Incomplete or non-compliant applications are returned to applicants, along with reasons for them being returned."
Applications which met the requirements would then be sent on to the Infrastructure Minister (currently Chris Bishop), who gathered advice and reports on the project's impact and, if they saw fit, would refer it on to
the final step, the expert panel
.
The ministry said applicants were allowed to reapply if their initial application was found to be incomplete, but it would be treated as a new application, with a fresh application fee - which, according to the MfE website, would cost $12,000.
Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero
,
a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
RNZ News
4 hours ago
- RNZ News
The House: Bills this week
Debating Chamber in Parliament Photo: RNZ / Diego Opatowski After a week off, MPs are back in the capital for a two-week sitting block, in which a smorgasbord of bills are scheduled to be debated. To make up time, there is another extended sitting on Thursday morning from 9 am (earlier than the normal 2pm start). Parliament's agenda this week is a hodgepodge of bills at different stages in their legislative journey. Let's start with the new bills. The first bit of Government business up for the week is the Regulatory Systems (Internal Affairs) Amendment Bill, which the House got its first go at debating last week, before the first reading was interrupted with five speeches still remaining. Regulatory Systems Amendment Bills are omnibus bills, which means they amend a suite of relevant legislation rather than just a single Act. They are a way for government agencies (in this case, Internal Affairs) to make small technical changes to regulatory systems that those agencies oversee. For Internal Affairs, these include things like gambling; births, deaths and marriages; and censorship of objective material. The bill has the tentative support of the opposition Labour and Green parties, with Te Pāti Māori yet to speak on the bill. The Antisocial Road Use Legislation Amendment Bill aims to discourage road users from participating in, as the name of the bill suggests, 'antisocial' conduct while operating a vehicle. This could include intimidating convoys, boy-racer meet-ups, fleeing from police, or dirt-bike gatherings, which are apparently becoming more common. Tuesday's first reading is the first chance the public gets to hear what MPs have to say about it. The final first reading of the week is the Constitution Amendment Bill, which is the less contentious bill relating to elections in recent weeks. This bill follows a recommendation from both the Electoral Commission and the Justice Committee (from their inquiry into the 2023 General Election), to remove the '28 day rule' - the period in which Ministers of the Crown can continue to remain in office even after they cease to be MPs (at the close of polling day). In the unlikely event of a delayed return of the writ (the official election results), this change would allow continuity of Government. The Public Works (Critical Infrastructure) Amendment Bill is back in the House after being examined by the Transport and Infrastructure Committee for just shy of three months. It seeks to simplify the process whereby the Crown, local authorities, and network utility operators acquire land for 'critical' infrastructure projects that fall under either Schedule 2 of the Fast-Track Approvals Act 2024, or the list of Roads of National Significance. During the first reading, Labour cautiously lent its support to the Bill, while the Greens and Te Pāti Māori voted against it, citing concerns about Māori and other land owners potentially having fewer rights to appeal an acquisition. The Customs (Levies and Other Matters) Amendment Bill is an omnibus bill that intends to improve the collection of revenue from goods crossing our borders. It would replace the current fee-based regime with a levy payment system. Customs Minister Casey Costello said the change would "provide a more balanced approach that reflects the risks and costs that classes of levy payers create". Being quite an esoteric, technical change, it's relatively uncontroversial. The second reading debate of the Crimes (Countering Foreign Interference) Amendment Bill will pick up from where it left off, with nine speeches remaining. The bill addresses gaps in criminal law concerning foreign interference intended to harm New Zealand. Spy novel ideas like treason, and inciting mutiny or espionage-all on behalf of foreign actors-would be introduced as new offences. Only the Green Party voted against the Bill at its first reading, although Te Pāti Māori were absent for the vote. The Resource Management (Consenting and Other System Changes) Amendment Bill is the second of the government's three-phased approach to replacing the Resource Management Act. This Bill would make changes in the areas of infrastructure and energy, housing growth, farming and the primary sector, natural hazards and emergencies, seeking to streamline consenting and investment. Wellingtonians in particular may also be interested to hear that it streamlines the listing and delisting of heritage buildings. In fact, the Minister in Charge of the Bill, Chris Bishop, said an amendment paper would be put forward during the committee stage this week that would specifically make the demolition of the Gordon Wilson Flats on The Terrace a permitted activity. While the RMA was well-intentioned, most MPs agree that over time it became unfit for purpose. Opinion diverges over what to replace it with (this being the second attempt in two Parliaments). Labour supported this bill to committee, albeit with reservations. The Greens and Te Pāti Māori reckon this isn't the right approach to RMA reform - expect opposition filibustering practitioners to try and drag this one out. The Local Government (Water Services) Amendment Bill will resume its committee stage this week. The Bill is part of the scrapping of the sixth Labour Government's Three Waters policy, and sets up a new regulatory framework for water services delivery. All three opposition parties are against the bill, with the House still yet to debate parts 4 and 5. Interestingly, the Hauraki Gulf / Tīkapa Moana Marine Protection Bill is collaborative in that it was introduced by the previous government, and continued by the current one. It aims to promote the restoration of the Hauraki Gulf, which has been facing recent ecological decline. Te Pāti Māori did not support the Bill at its second reading. The Privacy Amendment Bill reaches the end of its legislative journey on Thursday, with nine speeches to go in its third and final reading. It has unanimous support. It seeks to improve public transparency regarding the gathering of private information, notably requiring agencies to notify someone when it collects their personal information indirectly. The Leader of the House's office also intends to get to the third reading of the Resource Management (Consenting and Other System Changes) Amendment Bill this week following Tuesday evening's committee stage, which they hope will be completed before the House adjourns. RNZ's The House, with insights into Parliament, its legislation and issues, is made with funding from Parliament's Office of the Clerk. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
RNZ News
5 hours ago
- RNZ News
'Farmluencer' creates online community for female farmers
Anthea Rolfe. Photo: Supplied/Anthea Rolfe A Canterbury dairy farmer has created an online community for other females in farming to share her knowledge and connect with her peers. Anthea Rolfe left her corporate job in the aviation industry in Auckland 18 years ago to get into farming and hasn't looked back. She said she never knew it was even an option for her to farm and now milks 1250 cows, which she juggles with being a solo mum to her 12-year-old son. "I just know what it's like to juggle kids, home, farm, all that kind of stuff, and you end up putting yourself last. "And so I just thought, how can I create a community to help empower people, like women, and try and restore some of that sort of feel-good factor." Rolfe started the Females in Farming social media page a year ago and said it just exploded, gaining a following quickly. She's gone on to expand the brand with a practical and comfortable clothing range for on farm and a farming hub where she shares her knowledge from the industry. "There's really a need for this sort of thing here and it's just evolved into becoming the clothing range and the polished farmer hub," she said. "So yeah, it's been really good, really positive." Rolfe said her favourite part of being a dairy farmer is the cows - they're her favourite animal. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
RNZ News
6 hours ago
- RNZ News
No votes, no problem: The early winners in local elections
Photo: New Zealand Electoral Commission More than 220 local politicians have won a spot on their council or community board without a single vote being cast. The lack of candidates in some areas means representatives are being elected unopposed. Two - Hurunui mayor Marie Black and Manawatū deputy mayor Michael Ford -have even already 'won' mayoral seats for next term. Black told Local Democracy Reporting she was thrilled to be elected for a third term to represent the North Canterbury district. Ford told the Manawatu Standard it was a real privilege to be elected to mayor for the first time without opposition. Hurunui mayor Marie Black has already 'won' mayoral seats for next term. Photo: Supplied / Hurunui District Council A total of 3466 candidates are standing in the October local elections, according to Local Government NZ, the national body for councils. This is the highest number seen in the past six local elections. Of these, 222 were elected unopposed to their seat - a similar figure to the last two elections, LGNZ figures showed. LGNZ chief executive Susan Freeman-Greene said the uptick in candidates showed people see value in being a part of their council. "People are more engaged in this year's local elections than in the past and want to be a voice for their community. "This is good for democracy as the more voting choices people have, the more say they have in who represents their interests at the council table." Freeman-Greene said she wanted this to translate into more people voting. Voter turnout has steadily dropped over the years, with a 40 percent turnout for the 2022 local elections. Elisha Milmine didn't expect to go from a complete newcomer to guaranteed councillor in just five days. Milmine was initially contesting the one vacancy for the Hastings District Council's Kahuranaki ward, but her opponent withdrew for personal reasons. "I feel it would have been justified to fight for my place," Milmine told Local Democracy Reporting. "Now it's a matter of showing my constituency I am worthy of their vote through the term by working hard for our community." Elisha Milmine was initially contesting the one vacancy for the Hastings District Council's Kahuranaki ward, but her opponent withdrew for personal reasons. Photo: Supplied/LDR Rotorua Lakes Council's rural ward councillor Karen Barker can also put her canvassing feet up after being elected unchallenged. "It can be a reflection of the kind of job you have done and how comfortable people are with what the council's been doing." Ten of Hutt City's candidates were elected unopposed: Five across four wards, and five Eastbourne Community Board positions. Auckland has two wards with unopposed councillors (Rodney and Ōrākei). Christchurch has three: Harewood, Waimari and Hornby ward councillors. The Chief Executive of the local authority must give notice of the vacancy to the electoral officer. A by-election must then be held not later than 89 days after the electoral officer receives the notice. The by-election is conducted by post and must be for all the vacancies that exist when nominations closed on August 1. These will be required to fill 13 seats across 10 elections, including community board positions in Twizel, Clifton and Rotorua Lakes. Community boards generally represent a smaller area within their council. Most members earn between 3 - 10k per year, depending on the size and responsibilities of the board, with the chair earning more. A LGNZ spokesperson said community boards play an important role in a council, but their work often flies under the radar. "For the hours required ... the pay often doesn't cover costs like travel, childcare, or lost work time. This can be a tough fit for people with full-time jobs or families." In rural or sparsely populated wards, there aren't always enough eligible or willing people to do these roles. Gore District - Mataura Community Board Gore District - Gore and Districts Health Inc - Southland Ward Hastings District - Maraekākaho Community Subdivision Hurunui District - Hanmer Springs Community Board Mackenzie District - Twizel Community Board New Plymouth District - Clifton Community Board New Plymouth District - Kaitake Community Board Rotorua Lakes District - Rotorua Lakes Community Board Wellington City - Mākara-Ōhāriu Community Board Whakatāne District Council - Tāneatua Community Board LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
