Whanganui Politician Crosses Boundaries To Stop Seabed Mine

Thursday, 22 May 2025, 4:14 pm
Article: Craig Ashworth - Local Democracy Reporting

A Whanganui councillor has brought her campaign against seabed mining to local politicians in New Plymouth, saying their silence isn’t good enough.

Australian company Trans-Tasman Resources wants to mine the seafloor in the shallows of South Taranaki Bight, promising a harmless operation that’ll bring profits, jobs and exports.

It’s seeking permission for the proposed mine via the pro-development Fast-track Approvals Act.

Whanganui District Councillor Charlotte Melser presented her 3000-signature Concerned Communities petition to New Plymouth District Council on Tuesday, saying many locals had signed.

“Your silence on the proposal does not go far enough for many in your community,” she told councillors on NPDC’s Strategy and Operations Committee.

Melser wants Taranaki and Whanganui councillors to instruct staff to research ecological, economic and cultural impacts, informing councils to speak against the Fast-track mining bid.

“What I’m angling for is a united voice… to make sure all relevant information is put in front of the decision-making panel.”

For centuries coastal communities have relied on the abundant South Taranaki Bight, said Melser.

“It’s truly such a thriving ecosystem down there.

“Do we really need to put it at risk to fill the coffers of an Australian mining company?”

Opponents say Trans-Tasman’s waste sediment would smother the extensive reefs of the Pātea Banks, stunting food-chain photosynthesis by cutting sunlight.

They fear underwater industrial noise would disrupt rare Maui dolphins and pygmy blue whales.

Trans-Tasman Resources (TTR) has consents to vacuum-up 50 million tonnes of seabed sediment every year for 35 years, extracting iron, vanadium and titanium for export.

But despite a decade in the courts TTR still hasn’t won permission to discharge 45 million tonnes of unwanted sediment – a recognised pollutant – back into the ocean.

The mining company says most of the daily 165,000 tonnes of waste would sink to the seabed in a “controlled process”.

It says superfine sediments drifting from the mine would be insignificant in the turbid Tasman Sea.

In 2021 the Supreme Court unanimously rejected the company’s case and ordered it to start again.

But a year ago TTR quit the resulting environmental hearing in favour of a fast-track application.

The Environmental Protection Authority will soon name an expert panel to hear submissions, then advise Government ministers.

“Once the panel is established, your council will have only 20 working days to complete your submission,” Melser advised.

“The timeframes are tight, so I ask that you make some time today, or as soon as is practicality possible, to come to a position on this amongst yourselves so you can direct your policy team to get on with the work.”

Her last-ditch appeal left committee members unable to act: one of them must instead take a notice-of-motion to the next council meeting.

Trans-Tasman’s executive chairman Alan Eggers was pleased the application is progressing along the fast-track.

“We have proposed a set of operating conditions and management plans to generate much-needed growth, create high-paying jobs and minimise any environmental impacts in the South Taranaki Bight.”

Opponents filled the council’s public gallery at Tuesday afternoon’s meeting, including a couple of dozen from Protect Our Moana Taranaki.

Co-founder Tihikura Hohaia hoped councillors understood the range of people against the mine.

“It’s so widespread: surfers, fishers, boaties, yeah – and also dairy farmers.”

“We had a farmer bring a butchered sheep to [a protest last month]. They don’t want to go public but no one wants this.”

Last December Whanganui District Council unanimously opposed TTR’s project.

Two years ago South Taranaki District Council told Parliament economic benefits wouldn’t outweigh “environmental vandalism” off the Pātea coast and it should outlaw seabed mining.

Trans-Tasman’s owners Manuka Resources told the Australian Stock Exchange they predict annual earnings of US$312 million, giving shareholders a near 40 percent rate of return on investment.

LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ on Air

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