Invite significance lessoned
Te Pāti Māori co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-packer has strongly warned against reading too much into a Government invitation to Trans-tasman Resources to be included as a listed project in the Fast-track Approvals Bill.
Her warning followed an announcement made to the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX) yesterday by Manuka Resources, the parent company of Trans-tasman Resources.
A statement by Manuka Resources said the decision was a “positive step” towards achieving the final approval needed to mine 3.2 billion tonnes of iron sand offshore in the South Taranaki Bight.
In the statement, Manuka Resources said Chris Bishop, the minister responsible for Resource Management Act reform, had formally invited Trans-tasman Resources to make the application.
However, Ngarewa-packer played down the invitation, saying it was one of many which would have been sent out to potential projects.
“They are spinning it to make it look like they are getting preferential treatment, which they are not,” she said.
“Everyone who has been interested [in applying] has got a standard letter from the minister when the process opened.
“It’s also important to remember the bill is not even law yet.”
Submissions on the bill were open until April 19, while applications to be part of the Fast-track Approvals Bill would close on May 3. “In reality, Trans-tasman Resources is just one of a whole lot of others who have the opportunity to submit because they’ve put an expression of interest in,” Packer-ngarewa added.
Manuka Resources announcement followed Trans-tasman Resources’ withdrawal of its application from a hearing in front of the Environmental Protection Authority.
The decision to withdraw drew widespread criticism from the likes of Greenpeace and Kiwis Against Seabed Mining (KASM), and the company has been the target of protests by Ngāti Ruanui.
KASM chairperson Cindy Baxter also accused Manuka Resources of over-inflating the significance of the invitation for the benefit of shareholders.
In an email sent to Manuka Resources executive chairman Dennis Karp, Baxter accused the company of being misleading around its holding of consents which she said were quashed by the Supreme Court.
“We are deeply concerned that Manuka Resources Ltd is misleading current and potential future shareholders and we are now in the process of laying a formal complaint with the Australian Securities and Investment Commission on that basis.
“We request Manuka Resources Ltd to make an urgent public correction to the ASX in light of the above.”
In its statement to ASX, Manuka Resources outlined the background to the introduction of the Fast-track Approvals Bill, which was introduced to Parliament on March 7. A group of independent experts – the Fasttrack Projects Advisory Group – would assess nominated projects against the criteria and make recommendations to ministers if it was passed.
Approved projects would be added to the bill either through the environment select committee process or through Parliament.
Manuka Resources said the granting of final government approvals to operate would allow it to complete its “bankable feasibility study on the project”.