Seabed mining opposer digs in
One of the lobby groups fighting a decision to approve iron sands mining off the Taranaki coast says it is prepared to take the case to the Supreme Court if necessary.
The Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) in August approved an application by miner Trans-Tasman Resources (TTR) to dredge a billion tonnes of iron sands from the South Taranaki Bight, in a split decision that swung on committee chairman Alick Shaw’s casting vote.
Eleven groups with environmental, fishing and Maori interests are appealing the decision at the High Court in Wellington.
Speaking before the proceedings, Kiwis Against Seabed Mining (KASM) chairwoman Cindy Baxter said it was clear the former National government supported the mining venture.
She believed that had not been lost on the EPA, which is an independent body.
‘‘The Government changed the legislation to make it easier for it to get through and Callaghan Innovation suddenly gave TTR a big grant when it wasn’t even a New Zealand company,’’ she said.
‘‘This is a company that brought 35 per cent of its shares across from Holland three weeks before its application so it could claim it was a Kiwi company.’’
Baxter couldn’t say whether the EPA was influenced by the former government’s support for the venture. But ‘‘it certainly got that message’’, and the process it went through to approve the application was flawed, she said.
Baxter said she believed the new government was trying to be ‘‘hands off’’ and was waiting for the outcome of the court challenge.
She said KASM was prepared to take the court challenge as far as it needed to. ‘‘This is a precedentsetting case.’’
TTR has been contacted for comment. It has previously said the iron sands project would be a ‘‘world-leading development’’ that would have little environmental effect and directly employ 463 people, generating about $7 million of royalties for the Crown.