EPA irks Taranaki iwi with sand mine sandbagging

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South Taranaki iwi are questioning whether the Environmental Protection Agency is dedicating sufficient resources assigned to properly assess Trans-Tasman Resources' application to mine iron-ore off their coast.

Cassandra Crowley from Te Korowai o Ngaruahine Trust says iwi were given only a week's notice of an important pre-hearing conference to decide how technical submissions will be handled.

She says iwi and other submitters had to go to court to force the EPA to release information the Australian mining company included in its application.

Hearings and conferences are being held away from the affected area, making it difficult for iwi to attend.

She says rather that focus on the substance of the application, iwi are having to waste time and energy on inadequacies in the EPA process.

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