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Iwi back council stand against seabed mining

Catherine Groenestein catherine.groenestein@stuff.co.nz

A move by South Taranaki District Council to abandon its previous neutrality and actively oppose a seabed mining plan off its coast has been heartily endorsed by iwi representatives.

Members of the council’s Te Kahui Matauraura (formerly iwi liaison committee), which met in Hāwera yesterday, welcomed a strongly-worded draft submission from the council to an inquiry by Parliament’s environment committee into the mining proposal by Trans-tasman Resources (TTR).

The council, which has remained neutral throughout a long-running campaign by TTR to gain consent for its plan, has now described the project as ‘‘environmental vandalism’’, and joined a flood of opposition to the idea.

This includes a petition signed by 35,000 New Zealanders calling for a complete ban, presented to Parliament in June last year.

In the draft submission, South Taranaki mayor Phil Nixon said the proposed mining technique was experimental and unproven, and would cause ‘‘significant detrimental effects’’.

Te Rununga o Ngāti Ruanui kaumatua Sandy Parata said he welcomed the council’s change of view.

‘‘We have been looking at seabed mining for 10 years. The council came on with us at the start, then they decided to get back on the fence, and we were left alone,’’ he said.

‘‘We have continued fighting the seabed mining for nine years after that. I’d like to congratulate the council for taking this stance. We have battled it, we went to four courts and won them all, still they have risen their heads again, and we are ready to do battle. Thank you for coming on board.’’

The only addition suggested at the meeting, by Te Rununga o Ngāti Ruanui’s Graham Young, was to add a paragraph to acknowledge the long battle the iwi has fought against the seabed mining plan.

Young said the iwi was also making a submission to the inquiry, which closes on June 23.

‘‘It’s just a win for the district, really,’’ Te Tai Tonga Māori ward councillor Tuteri Rangihaeata said.

‘‘Ngāti Ruanui is leading the way in this. They have been doing it a long time. It would be good in the future if we worked as a collective.’’

Meeting chairman, deputy mayor Rob Northcott, agreed. ‘‘I think it’s the right stance, and brings us into line with the rest of our community,’’ he said.

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2023-06-08T07:00:00.0000000Z

2023-06-08T07:00:00.0000000Z

https://fairfaxmedia.pressreader.com/article/281560885189929

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