Concerned Communites of Taranaki and Manawatu Against Seabed Mining

The South Taranaki Bight is home to a rich and diverse marine ecosystem supporting a wide range of species and habitats, including dolphins, penguins, and whales. The area is also a popular spot for fishing, with abundant and diverse fish species. The area’s underwater ecosystems include important feeding and breeding grounds for marine life, such as fish, seabirds, and marine mammals. 

It is vital that the health of this abundant ecosystem is protected to ensure the long term health of these habitats and the wellbeing of our communities. This is our coast. 

Trans-Tasman Resources Ltd (TTRL) is seeking to fast-track a proposal to mine iron sands from the seabed within the South Taranaki Bight. This proposal poses a direct threat to the marine life and habitats that depend on this delicate ecosystem. Seabed mining, which involves extracting minerals from the ocean floor, is an experimental and largely untested process. It presents significant risks to the seabed and surrounding environment, potentially causing far-reaching and irreversible damage to not only the project area, but extending many kilometres along the coast due to the spread of sediment plumes that could smother these ecosystems.

TTRL wants to mine offshore in depths of up to 20-42 m deep. They plan to dig up 50 million tonnes or more of the seabed every year for 35 years, dumping 45 million tonnes back onto the ocean floor [1]. The dumping back of the waste is what differentiates seabed mining from sand mining, and it has a much bigger impact on the benthic and marine environment. This type of seabed mining has not been carried out anywhere else in the world.

This isn’t TTRL's first attempt to get consent for seabed mining in the area. Over the past decade TTRL has had several unsuccessful attempts, spending millions of dollars on the hearing processes and using up an extraordinary amount of time and hundreds of thousands of dollars from the New Zealand public and existing industries, particularly fisheries, opposing their plans. So far their attempts to gain consent have been unsuccessful for risks to the ecosystems and inadequate information in their applications [2].

The revised application area in 2024 is 878 square kms, over ten times the original 66 square km application. By applying to the Fast Track process TTRL are trying to to side step the ongoing opposition to their plans. The Fast Track Bill proposes no feedback and submission process from the community, and only allows submissions from invited “relevant” local authorities. 

The local community has rallied against this proposal for years, dedicating significant time and resources to protect this precious environment. Local Iwi, along with residents, environmental organisations, boaties, fishers, surfers, and dairy farmers have been continually fighting to oppose this operation [3]. Offshore wind energy development is also threatened by seabed mining, and one developer has already pulled plans for this renewable energy source, due to TTR’s mining bid [4]. Wind farm developers are adamant the 2 projects are not compatible.

The full economic and environmental impacts of this proposal have not been adequately assessed or presented. To fully understand the potential consequences of seabed mining, an independent regional cost-benefit analysis is needed. This analysis would provide a comprehensive evaluation of both the short-term and long-term effects on the local economy, environment, and community well-being.

Because local councils are potentially the only bodies invited to provide feedback to the Fast Track expert panel or the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA), it is crucial that we, as residents directly impacted by this proposal, come together in opposition. 

For more information on the social and environmental effects and the known economic costs and benefits please check out our website at:

Bfm radio interview here: https://95bfm.com/bcast/get-action-concerned-communites-of-taranaki-and-manawatu-against-seabed-mining-w-whanganui-district 

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