Te Pāti Māori is demanding to know how the government can justify fast tracking a replica of a seabed mining application that was already rejected by the supreme court in 2021.

“Trans-Tasman Resources, a company with no operational experience, is back to the table with the same outdated and incomplete data the Supreme Court ruled against, but this time they’re being waved through a political back door” said Te Pāti Māori co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer.

“The Fast-track panel is being asked to assess their application based on environmental assumptions that are nearly a decade old. There’s no new seabed monitoring, no updated marine mammal data, and no clear understanding of cumulative risks to the moana.”

In the application lodged on the EPA website last Friday,  even TTR’s own experts admit gaps in data on endangered species like whales and seabirds. Yet, the Government continues to promote this proposal as “economic growth” while ignoring the real environmental cost.

“This is high-risk capital with low public return and what’s worse will be signed off by three Ministers with no obligation to heed hapū, Iwi and whānau concerns. The government has trampled Te Tiriti and betrays all Zealanders, by sacrificing our coastal waters for offshore investors.”

The 2025 Budget, announced on Thursday, saw an additional $200 million taxpayer funded hand out to offshore oil and gas companies.

Ngarewa-Packer called out the Government’s political gambling, “We all want economic prosperity for our communities, but enabling unproven, speculative ventures to bypass environmental due process signals desperation not development .”

Once the EPA expert panel is confirmed, the recognised Iwi and Councils have 20 working days to make a submission.

© Scoop Media