Latest news with #SouthTaranakiBight
RNZ News
6 days ago
- Business
- RNZ News
Seabed miner slows fast track with 'cynical' response
Mana whenua expect to have a say about the impact of seabed mining on the environment and their cultural interests, says the expert panel convener. Photo: Te Korimako o Taranaki An Australian company has slowed its fast track bid to mine the Taranaki seabed by failing to provide information demanded by officials. Officials have picked an expert panel to decide if Trans-Tasman Resources gets the green light to mine in the South Taranaki Bight under the Fast-Track Approvals Act. Announcing the five experts, associate panel convener Jennifer Caldwell wrote that a "cynical" approach by the would-be miners meant the process would take longer. "The Applicant's responses to some of my directions have provided little, if any assistance, and have in fact led to my taking a more conservative approach to timeframe," she said. The panel will start work in ten days, sit for 130 working days, and give their verdict in March next year. Caldwell wrote that Trans-Tasman Resources suggested the panel would need just 76 working days, saying any longer would be useless as there was "little room for real debate". "The Applicant's memo records its somewhat cynical expectation that: 'opponents who are invited to comment are very likely to raise any and every issue that they think may impede the project, regardless of merit'." "I infer from both the substance and tone of the memorandum that the Applicant considers any effort spent or additional time allocated towards issue resolution is pointless." Trans-Tasman Resources - a wholly-owned subsidiary of Australian gold and silver miners Manuka Resources - wants to suck up 50 million tonnes of the seabed every year for at least 20 years. After extracting ore containing iron, titanium and vanadium it would spit 45 million tonnes of sediment back into the waters of the Pātea Shoals. Alan Eggers heads Trans-Tasman Resources, which told fast-track officials there is "little room for real debate" on their proposed seabed mine. Photo: Te Korimako o Taranaki Trans-Tasman fought with opponents in an earlier fast-track conference over the miner's lack of engagement with mana whenua since first applying to mine twelve years ago, said Caldwell. "The Supreme Court made very clear the relevance of tikanga and found that the decision issued on the 2016 application failed to effectively grapple with the true effect of the proposal for iwi parties, amongst other related findings." Trans-Tasman Resources managing director Alan Eggers told New Plymouth District Council in June that the company had engaged with local iwi, taking into account their concerns "as best we understand them". "We're going to be working with South Taranaki iwi when we get our consents, whether they want us or not," he said. A week later NPDC joined South Taranaki and Whanganui district councils, declaring opposition to seabed mining. The company has been approached for comment. Caldwell said iwi authorities and Treaty settlement entities - and the hapū and iwi they represent - had fought the application through a decade of court cases, alongside Marine Area Coastal Act claimants and other parties. "[They] have continued to express concerns with the proposal and its impact on the environment and their cultural values and interests." "All those parties expect to participate in this application via the invitation-to-comment process," Caldwell wrote. "I strongly recommend that the Applicant commence engagement with the local authorities, relevant agencies, iwi authorities and Treaty settlement entities." The panel will be led by lawyer Kit Toogood KC, an arbitrator, investigator and legal advisor. Environmental commissioner and lawyer Loretta Lovell was nominated by local authorities and specialises in energy and resource management, also sitting on several iwi boards. Dr Hilke Giles is a coastal and systems scientist, Gavin Kemble a planner and expert witness and Natalie Hampson an economic consultant with a Masters science degree in geography. Caldwell is a lawyer of 30 years experience and a senior partner at Buddle Findlay, specialising in resource management, environmental and local government law. She said many invited specialists would advise on things like sediment plume modelling, commercial and customary fisheries, local tikanga and mātauranga, and international law. "The complex suite of conditions required for the approvals sought will require significant attention from the Expert Panel and that effort should not be underestimated." LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
RNZ News
24-06-2025
- Business
- RNZ News
New Plymouth council draws line in sand over seabed mining
Allan Eggers addressing a packed public gallery. Photo: RNZ/Robin Martin New Plymouth District Council has drawn a line in the sand and voted to oppose seabed mining in the South Taranaki Bight, and in particular the Trans-Tasman Resources' proposal currently going through the Fast Track consenting process. Councillor Amanda Clinton-Gohdes tabled a motion calling for the move and after three hours of deputations and debate her colleagues backed it overwhelmingly - with just two councillors voting against . Trans-Tasman Resources managing chairman Allan Eggers said the vote was disappointing, but would not deter the company which would maintain its focus on the Fast Track process. Clinton-Gohdes, meanwhile, was proud of the council's stand which was met with cheers from a packed public gallery. "It was really important to our community and to me to bring this debate to council, so we could present the views of our community who were asking us to draw a clear line in the sand. I'm really proud of our council for doing the right thing. "It's about representing our community and what they've asked us to do and that we do our up most to protect our environment for future generations." Councillor Amanda Clinton-Gohdes. Photo: RNZ / Robin Martin Trans- Tasman Resources has approval to vacuum up 50 million tonnes of sand annually from the South Taranaki seabed for 35 years to extract iron, vanadium and titanium, but the company still needs consent to discharge 45 million tonnes of unwanted sediment a year back into the shallow waters. The company has previously been thwarted through legal challenges right up to the Supreme Court and pulled out of an Environmental Protection Authority hearing in 2024 in favour of the Fast Track consenting process. Last week, TTR managing chairman Allan Eggers made an hour-long presentation to a council workshop outlining the project's environmental and economic credentials. Ahead of debate on the Clinton-Gohdes' motion, council heard deputations from groups opposed to seabed mining in the South Taranaki Bight. Ngā iwi o Taranaki and Te Kotahitanga o Te Atiawa chair Liana Poutu. Photo: RNZ / Robin Martin Ngā iwi o Taranaki and Te Kotahitanga o Te Atiawa chair Liana Poutu told councillors TTR's claim it had engaged with iwi didn't stack up. "Our reality is our engagement with them under this current application - under the Fast Track process - has been a letter. "One letter that says 'we understand you are opposed. We are going to record your opposition in our application, but if you have anything else to add we look forward to hearing from you'. That's not engagement." Representatives of environmental groups Project Reef, the Ngāmotu Marine Reserve Society and Protect Our Moana challenged Eggers' evidence that there was no significant marine life in the vicinity of TTR's proposed project. Project Reef's Karen Pratt said for a decade it had collected data and shared images from reefs that extended offshore from Pātea and into Exclusive Economic Zone revealing the "stunningly beautiful and vibrant healthy life to be found on South Taranaki's offshore reefs". Ngāmotu Marine Reserve Society representative Barbara Hammond told councillors that little blue penguins from the Marlborough Sounds swim up into the South Taranaki Bight, contrary to TTR's claim that the penguins stayed inshore. Ngāti Runaui iwi member, Te Pāti Māori co-leader and long-time opponent of seabed mining, Debbie Ngarewa-Packer, also made a rare appearance in the council chamber. She said it was important to be there. "There's a sense of blocking, of not being heard, and some of these ministers that are choosing the [TTR] expert panel have been really outspoken in support of it [the project] so it's out of frustration you have to come back to your own local entities, your own local politicians." During debate on the motion, councillor Bryan Vickery reflected the view of most councillors when he evoked the cult classic Australian film The Castle . "It's about the vibe and the vibe is from a natural justice point of view - all eight iwi are opposed to it, the majority of Taranaki people from all walks of life are opposed to it and we have to - in my opinion - represent the dreams, values and aspirations of our community." Councillors Murray Chong. Photo: RNZ / Robin Martin Councillors Murray Chong and Max Brough voted against the motion. Chong argued the Taranaki economy was shrinking and the province had to grasp all opportunities for growth, while Brough thought the motion went too far and precluded companies with better credentials than TTR coming to present seabed mining proposals. "What if there was a mining company that came and did it properly and said 'look we've got all of this and we've got mitigation in place and we've done all of these steps everyone's been asking us to do' then we could give it a fair hearing, but that's not happening." TTR managing chairman Allan Eggers said the vote was disappointing. "Of course it concerns me. I think there's a lot of misinformation being spread by opponents of the project. They are certainly not relying on the facts - they're scaremongering and out there to discredit the company, the management of the company, and aren't really interested in the facts." He stood by the evidence presented to council last week. "As to credibility, all of our information has been provided to the Fast Track team and that information has been underpinned by independent expert reports on every aspect and well-tested. We can't see why our credibility would be questioned at all." TTR managing chairman Allan Eggers. Photo: RNZ/Robin Martin ' Eggers said the vote wouldn't derail the project. "We're focused on continuing with our Fast Track application and all our information is in front of the Fast Track panel, and it's available for anyone who wants to access it." He was at a loss to explain why the NPDC would oppose TTR's application. "That's a matter for the council. I'm not sure why they are even taking these votes, but that's up to them. "Our project will not have any effect on New Plymouth - except a positive one in terms of jobs and significant economic stimulus and delivering some prosperity to the area." Largely symbolic, the vote sees New Plymouth join Whanganui and South Taranaki district councils in formally opposing seabed mining. Taranaki Regional Council, meanwhile, has retained a neutral stance, arguing to do otherwise might compromise its ability to appoint a representative to the expert panel which will decide TTR's consents application. Clinton-Gohdes' motion also proposed that council formally request that the panel convened by the Environmental Protection Authority use its discretion to allow NPDC to make written comment on the Trans-Tasman Resources application in accordance the Fast Track Approvals Act; and that if the EPA approved the council's request to comment, NPDC officers draft and submit written comment. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
RNZ News
18-05-2025
- Business
- RNZ News
Trans-Tasman Resources' Taranaki seabed mining project clears first phase of Fast-track process
Greenpeace's Juressa Lee says mining 50 million tonnes of South Taranaki seabed every year will threaten marine life like pygmy blue whales, Māui and Hector's dolphins and kororā. Photo: RNZ / Samuel Rillstone A company's plan to mine 50 million tonnes of South Taranaki seabed every year has cleared the first hurdle in the Fast-track process. Trans-Tasman Resources (TTR) executive chair Alan Eggers said he was "delighted" the company's application for its Taranaki VTM project had been accepted as complete and would now move on to the next stage of the Fast-track process. Opponents, meanwhile, are "livid" and have vowed to continue their fight against the project. TTR wants to mine 50 million tonnes of seabed a year for 30 years in the South Taranaki Bight. Eggers said the company had identified a world-class vanadium resource that could contribute $1 billion annually to the economy. "It'll generate export revenues of around $850 million a year which will make it New Zealand's 11th or 12th largest exporter. "Within the region it'll generate about 1150 jobs. We would spend about $230m annually and it'll generate $190m in government royalties and taxes per annum," Eggers said. Eggers denied the approval process was a "short cut" to avoid environmental compliance. "We still have to comply with the embedded safeguards for the environment in the EEZ Act [Exclusive Economic Zone and Continental Shelf Act 2012]. The Fast Track Act includes us having to comply with all the conditions and management plans that were approved under the EEZ Act." A map showing the area covered by the South Taranaki Bight Project. Photo: Trans-Tasman Resources He said the project planned to magnetically extract and export 5 million tonnes of heavy mineral sands containing iron ore and the critical minerals vanadium and titanium each year. "Our research and marine reports have been independently peer reviewed by international experts in their areas in terms of marine ecologies and plume effects," Eggers said. Greenpeace seabed mining campaigner Juressa Lee said dumping the remaining 45 million tonnes of sand back in to ocean each year would threaten marine life such as the pygmy blue whale, Māui and Hector's dolphins and the world smallest species of penguin, kororā - which migrated through the area. "Investors in TTR's project are trying to pull the wool over the public's eyes, telling us to 'trust the science'. But TTR has never been able to alleviate the courts' concerns for harmful impacts on wildlife and the environment," Lee said. The head of Kiwis Against Seabed Mining, Cindy Baxter, said she was "livid" at the approval. She said there was "massive opposition" to the project and seabed mining in general. "A couple of weeks ago we saw 500 hundred people paddle out in Ōpunake against seabed mining. You've got many of the councils who are against it, you've got all the iwi, you've got surfers, you've got people who love their ocean, even the fishing industry is against it," Baxter said. Busloads of people protested outside the Environmental Protection Agency hearing to consider Trans Tasman Resources' seabed mining application in 2022. Photo: RNZ / Robin Martin She said people were angry at being "shut out" of the approval process. "We're not allowed to make submissions - and it's the public opposition that has stopped this process so far - so that's why Christopher Luxon's government has shut us out of the process," Baxter said. Baxter said if the project was successfully approved it would create a precedent for seabed mining on coastlines all across the country. "When we first started opposing this in 2012 there were companies all waiting in the wings for this first application to get across the line and, if it does, it'll be open slather on our coastlines," Baxter said. She said activists would continue to oppose the project. "We will continue to make our voices heard and we're going to fight this all the way - as far as we can - through the courts. "If we need to get into boats and go out into the ocean to stop them we'll do that as well," Baxter said. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
