Mining permit granted with little discussion
Central and local government are looking to patch legislative holes after a seabed mining exploration permit was granted inside a marine sanctuary with little consultation.
In May, Ironsands Offshore Mining Ltd was granted the permit to explore a 220-square-kilometre section off the coast of New Plymouth where it will drill holes, some deeper than 10 metres into the seafloor, to collect mineral samples.
The decision, made by New Zealand Petroleum and Minerals, did not require resource consent to be sought from the Taranaki Regional Council because its coastal plan allows exploration as a permitted activity.
And loopholes in central government legislation meant the permit could be approved without the involvement of the Conservation Minister Eugenie Sage or Department of Conservation, which administers the sanctuary.
Yesterday, Sage said she was disappointed the permit was granted but said her hands were tied on the matter.
She said under the Crown Minerals Act there was no opportunity for formal consultation by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment with DOC.
There was an obvious gap in the legislation which DOC was now investigating how to fill, she said.
But despite being upset by the permit’s approval, Sage had been aware of the application since March.
She was warned by DOC it was uncertain whether the public was aware of the application and there would be a ‘‘high level of interest’’ if people were told of the development.
Sage said she hadn’t made it public because the responsibility was with MBIE.
Holes in the Taranaki Regional Council’s coastal plan, which came into effect in 1997, may also be filled to ensure resource consent is required next time around, as a draft plan is currently up for consultation.
More than 60 submissions have been made on the plan, some of which opposed seabed mining and exploration. Among the submitters are Te Kotahitanga o Te Atiawa Trust and Te Ka¯hui o Taranaki Trust, which are both fundamentally opposed to seabed mining activities within their tribal rohe.
The two iwi were notified of the permit application in 2016 and made submissions opposing it but now want changes made to the coastal plan so resource consent would be required before future exploration permits were granted.
Te Atiawa chairwoman Liana Poutu said the iwi were concerned the permit area included the marine sanctuary. ‘‘I think fundamentally both our iwi are opposed to seabed mining. We find it difficult to understand how one arm of government, New Zealand Petroleum and Minerals, can cut across another arm of government and make these kinds of decisions without engagement on the issue.’’
Te Ka¯hui o Taranaki Trust chairwoman Leanne Horo said the protection of its environment was a focus for the iwi. ‘‘The Nga¯ Motu/ Sugar Loaf Island Marine Protected Area and Tapuae Marine Reserve sit within the Te Atiawa tribal rohe and our Taranaki iwi tribal rohe, so it’s concerning to us that the permit has been granted in close proximity to these areas,’’ Horo said.
Fred McLay, TRC director resource management, said the council only became aware the permit had been granted after being contacted by the media. ‘‘We are not required to be notified by NZPM, however would have expected the permit holder to have made contact with the council.’’
The coastal plan will be discussed at a TRC policy and planning committee meeting next week and further submissions, in support or opposition to the ones already received, would be invited with a deadline of August 4.
It was too early to say what process Ironsands Offshore Mining Ltd would have to go through if it was to apply to mine in the exploration area, but McLay believed the public would have a voice in the decisionmaking process.
‘‘Such a determination is made when an application is received, so its environmental effects can be assessed.
‘‘No application has been received so council cannot strictly make such a determination. However, it is likely such an application would be publicly notified given its environmental effects.’’