Latest news with #Melser
Scoop
22-05-2025
- Business
- Scoop
Whanganui Politician Crosses Boundaries To Stop Seabed Mine
A Whanganui councillor has brought her campaign against seabed mining to local politicians in New Plymouth, saying their silence isn't good enough. Australian company Trans-Tasman Resources wants to mine the seafloor in the shallows of South Taranaki Bight, promising a harmless operation that'll bring profits, jobs and exports. It's seeking permission for the proposed mine via the pro-development Fast-track Approvals Act. Whanganui District Councillor Charlotte Melser presented her 3000-signature Concerned Communities petition to New Plymouth District Council on Tuesday, saying many locals had signed. 'Your silence on the proposal does not go far enough for many in your community,' she told councillors on NPDC's Strategy and Operations Committee. Melser wants Taranaki and Whanganui councillors to instruct staff to research ecological, economic and cultural impacts, informing councils to speak against the Fast-track mining bid. 'What I'm angling for is a united voice… to make sure all relevant information is put in front of the decision-making panel.' For centuries coastal communities have relied on the abundant South Taranaki Bight, said Melser. 'It's truly such a thriving ecosystem down there. 'Do we really need to put it at risk to fill the coffers of an Australian mining company?' Opponents say Trans-Tasman's waste sediment would smother the extensive reefs of the Pātea Banks, stunting food-chain photosynthesis by cutting sunlight. They fear underwater industrial noise would disrupt rare Maui dolphins and pygmy blue whales. Trans-Tasman Resources (TTR) has consents to vacuum-up 50 million tonnes of seabed sediment every year for 35 years, extracting iron, vanadium and titanium for export. But despite a decade in the courts TTR still hasn't won permission to discharge 45 million tonnes of unwanted sediment – a recognised pollutant – back into the ocean. The mining company says most of the daily 165,000 tonnes of waste would sink to the seabed in a 'controlled process'. It says superfine sediments drifting from the mine would be insignificant in the turbid Tasman Sea. In 2021 the Supreme Court unanimously rejected the company's case and ordered it to start again. But a year ago TTR quit the resulting environmental hearing in favour of a fast-track application. The Environmental Protection Authority will soon name an expert panel to hear submissions, then advise Government ministers. 'Once the panel is established, your council will have only 20 working days to complete your submission,' Melser advised. 'The timeframes are tight, so I ask that you make some time today, or as soon as is practicality possible, to come to a position on this amongst yourselves so you can direct your policy team to get on with the work.' Her last-ditch appeal left committee members unable to act: one of them must instead take a notice-of-motion to the next council meeting. Trans-Tasman's executive chairman Alan Eggers was pleased the application is progressing along the fast-track. 'We have proposed a set of operating conditions and management plans to generate much-needed growth, create high-paying jobs and minimise any environmental impacts in the South Taranaki Bight.' Opponents filled the council's public gallery at Tuesday afternoon's meeting, including a couple of dozen from Protect Our Moana Taranaki. Co-founder Tihikura Hohaia hoped councillors understood the range of people against the mine. 'It's so widespread: surfers, fishers, boaties, yeah – and also dairy farmers.' 'We had a farmer bring a butchered sheep to [a protest last month]. They don't want to go public but no one wants this.' Last December Whanganui District Council unanimously opposed TTR's project. Two years ago South Taranaki District Council told Parliament economic benefits wouldn't outweigh 'environmental vandalism' off the Pātea coast and it should outlaw seabed mining. Trans-Tasman's owners Manuka Resources told the Australian Stock Exchange they predict annual earnings of US$312 million, giving shareholders a near 40 percent rate of return on investment.
Scoop
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Scoop
Fast-Track Fury: Councillor Urges United Front Against Taranaki Seabed Mining
A Whanganui councillor is condemning a decision to move a mining company's South Taranaki seabed application into the next stage of the fast-track approvals process. First-term councillor Charlotte Melser is urging affected councils and iwi to unite in opposition to the proposal by Trans-Tasman Resources (TTR) to mine 50 million tonnes of iron sand per year for 35 years over 66km2 of the South Taranaki Bight. 'At what point is enough enough?' Melser said, speaking to Local Democracy Reporting. 'Despite significant opposition from all coastal communities, multiple declined consents and massive gaps in the application in terms of environmental mitigation, the Government has rolled out the red carpet to the back door through the fast-track process and brought this application back from the dead.' The process was established by the Fast-track Approvals Act 2024 to streamline infrastructure and development projects deemed to have significant regional or national benefits. TTR's application passed the first hurdle last week when the Environmental Protection Authority marked it as complete. In the next step, the authority has 10 days to check for any competing applications and existing consents before the application moves to a panel convener to appoint an expert panel and set a timeframe for it to make a decision. If no timeframe is set, the panel must make a decision within 30 working days of the deadline for receiving comments from invited parties. On Tuesday morning, Melser delivered a petition against the seabed mining application to Whanganui District Council and planned to present the same petition – signed by more than 3000 people – to New Plymouth District Council's strategy and operations committee in the afternoon. She says local councils could be the only bodies invited to make submissions to the expert panel. 'In the past, lots of individuals have been able to give evidence in the hearings but that's not possible under fast-track. Only invited parties can make submissions. 'What I'm angling for is a united voice from all of the affected district councils and regional councils.' Melser said the fast-track process cuts out the voices of individuals such as divers and recreational users who know the marine area best. 'So it's up to councils and iwi and affected parties to speak for their communities and make strong submissions to the EPA. 'At this stage, it's really important for individuals to contact their elected members, their iwi representatives and their MPs to show sustained opposition.' The petition from Concerned Communities of Taranaki and Manawatu Against Seabed Mining calls on all impacted councils to seek independent advice and review of economic and environmental assessments to ensure all relevant information is provided to the decision-making panel. 'When weighing up the benefits of any project of any development, you need to consider all of the costs including social and environmental," Melser said. 'It's important to ask ourselves what is our bottom line, what are we willing to lose? 'When you look at all the evidence, that coastal marine area is just thriving with abundance and it's a taonga that is worth preserving.' Concerned Communities said in its petition that this type of seabed mining had not been carried out anywhere else in the world and was 'experimental'. The proposal to return 45 million tonnes per year of processed sand to the seabed would create sediment plumes that could significantly impact rich but delicate ecosystems and precious marine life, the petition said. Trans-Tasman Resources executive chairman Alan Eggers said he was pleased the application is moving forward in the fast-track process. 'We believe we have proposed a set of operating conditions and management plans to generate much-needed growth, create high-paying jobs and minimise any environmental impacts in the STB [South Taranaki Bight],' he said in a statement. In a recent Local Democracy Reporting article, Eggers said de-ored sands will be returned immediately to the seafloor in a controlled process to minimise suspended sediment in the water. An economic impact assessment by New Zealand Institute of Economic Research said the project would generate $850 million in annual export earnings and more than 1350 jobs, including 300 in Taranaki and Whanganui. 'Those numbers are overinflated,' Melser said. 'There are a number of gaps in their report.' She told her council that Whanganui would see none of the economic benefit. 'But we will see all of the environmental impact because of the travel of sediment plume.' In December, the Whanganui council unanimously backed a motion from Melser to formally oppose the seabed mining application. Whanganui mayor Andrew Tripe agreed last week to have the petition added to the council meeting agenda as a late item. Usually, petitions have to be received five working days in advance of the meeting but Tripe used mayoral discretion to waive the rule. The council agreed to receive the petition, with all votes in favour. Melser abstained as she presented the petition. TTR's application is expected to be made public on the Government's fast-track website next month.
NZ Herald
20-05-2025
- Politics
- NZ Herald
Fast-track fury: Councillor urges united front against Taranaki seabed mining
The process was established by the Fast-track Approvals Act 2024 to streamline infrastructure and development projects deemed to have significant regional or national benefits. TTR's application passed the first hurdle last week when the Environmental Protection Authority marked it as complete. In the next step, the authority has 10 days to check for any competing applications and existing consents before the application moves to a panel convener to appoint an expert panel and set a timeframe for it to make a decision. If no timeframe is set, the panel must make a decision within 30 working days of the deadline for receiving comments from invited parties. On Tuesday morning, Melser delivered a petition against the seabed mining application to Whanganui District Council and planned to present the same petition – signed by more than 3000 people – to New Plymouth District Council's strategy and operations committee in the afternoon. She said local councils could be the only bodies invited to make submissions to the expert panel. 'In the past, lots of individuals have been able to give evidence in the hearings but that's not possible under fast-track. Only invited parties can make submissions. 'What I'm angling for is a united voice from all of the affected district councils and regional councils.' Melser said the fast-track process cut out the voices of individuals such as divers and recreational users who knew the marine area best. 'So it's up to councils and iwi and affected parties to speak for their communities and make strong submissions to the EPA. 'At this stage, it's really important for individuals to contact their elected members, their iwi representatives and their MPs to show sustained opposition.' The petition from Concerned Communities of Taranaki and Manawatu Against Seabed Mining calls on all impacted councils to seek independent advice and review of economic and environmental assessments to ensure all relevant information is provided to the decision-making panel. 'When weighing up the benefits of any project of any development, you need to consider all of the costs, including social and environmental,' Melser said. 'It's important to ask ourselves what is our bottom line, what are we willing to lose? Advertise with NZME. 'When you look at all the evidence, that coastal marine area is just thriving with abundance and it's a taonga that is worth preserving.' Concerned Communities said in its petition that this type of seabed mining had not been carried out anywhere else in the world and was 'experimental'. The proposal to return 45 million tonnes a year of processed sand to the seabed would create sediment plumes that could significantly impact rich but delicate ecosystems and precious marine life, the petition said. Trans-Tasman Resources executive chairman Alan Eggers said he was pleased the application was moving forward in the fast-track process. 'We believe we have proposed a set of operating conditions and management plans to generate much-needed growth, create high-paying jobs and minimise any environmental impacts in the STB [South Taranaki Bight],' he said in a statement. Eggers recently told Local Democracy Reporting de-ored sands would be returned immediately to the seafloor in a controlled process to minimise suspended sediment in the water. An economic impact assessment by the New Zealand Institute of Economic Research said the project would generate $850 million in annual export earnings and more than 1350 jobs, including 300 in Taranaki and Whanganui. 'Those numbers are overinflated,' Melser said. 'There are a number of gaps in their report.' She told her council that Whanganui would see none of the economic benefit. 'But we will see all of the environmental impact because of the travel of sediment plume.' In December, the Whanganui council unanimously backed a motion from Melser to formally oppose the seabed mining application. Whanganui Mayor Andrew Tripe agreed last week to have the petition added to the council meeting agenda as a late item. Usually, petitions have to be received five working days in advance of the meeting, but Tripe used mayoral discretion to waive the rule. The council agreed to receive the petition, with 12 votes in favour and one abstention. TTR's application is expected to be made public on the Government's fast-track website next month.
NZ Herald
09-05-2025
- Politics
- NZ Herald
‘Anger, integrity and passion': Whanganui protest targets Equal Pay Amendment Bill
'Considering how quickly this has been pushed on us, I think it was an incredible turnout,' she said. 'We know there were protests all over the country today that were pulled together really quickly, and that shows me that New Zealand is angry.' Melser believed Whanganui should be concerned about the amendments because it had a lower average household income than the national average. 'Our cost of living is dramatically increasing and ... we rely on these roles that are predominantly filled by women to support our community. 'This legislation change is something our community should be really worried about.' Bates said 'context is important' when considering the law changes. The Equal Pay Amendment Bill does not remove the possibility of sector-wide claims being made, but it makes the requirements stricter. The changes include raising the threshold for work 'predominantly performed by female employees' from 60% to 70%; stricter guidelines on the use of comparators; and adding more ways in which employers can meet pay equity obligations. 'What we did this week was take the legislation back to be more representative of the amendments that National was in support of in 2020 to make sure that we have a sustainable, robust system of pay equity,' Bates said. 'The amendments this week had no impact on equal pay and the National Party remains committed to equal pay and pay equity.' Since the bill passed, a petition supported by unions, such as E tū, New Zealand Writers Guild, Tertiary Institutes Allied Staff Association and more, has amassed almost 55,000 signatures. Bates did not make an appearance at the protest because of a prior commitment to attend the Rural Nats Forum in Rotorua, but said he welcomed anyone with questions and concerns to speak to him. Melser hoped Bates would attend to gain insight into the process of the amendments. She also had concerns about the bill being passed under urgency. Bates said urgency used to keep the legal process smooth. 'If the Government had said 'this is happening' and there was a long period of time before it actually happened, it could create challenges around those legal processes for all involved.' The Equal Pay Amendment Bill does not officially become law until it receives royal assent, via the Governor-General, which is likely to be given early next week.
