September 15, 2017
Seabed mining a huge concern for Tai Hauauru candidate
Maori Party candidate Howie Tamati says the Environmental Protection Agency's green light for Trans Tasman Resources to suck 50 million tonnes of sand a year from off the coast of Patea has Maori thoroughly engaged.
He says the fate of that project is now for the courts to decide through the appeal process.
"The big issue now is the other companies are starting to gear up to make applications to mine right along the coast of Te Tai Hauauru and down into the South Island. Wherever there is iron sand, they want to mine, so we need to be acutely aware of the damage they can do over the time they are going to be mining," Mr Tamati says.
The former Kiwi league captain says while there has been a poll putting him ahead of Labour's Adrian Rurawhe, that will just make the incumbent fight harder so he needs to maintain his effort for the full 80 minutes.
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