April 08, 2020
Environment the winner as court does its job
Green Party co-leader James Shaw says a Court of Appeal judgment blocking seabed mining off south Taranaki is a great outcome for the environment.
Ngāti Ruanui, fishing companies and environmental and community grants had challenged a consent given to Trans Tasman Resources to disgorge a massive plume of sand back into the water after it had extracted targeted minerals.
The court found the Environment Protection Agency did not properly weigh environmental harm versus the economic returns.
"Clearly the court was persuaded the harm outweighed the good. It's rare to get some good news on the environmental front and this is one time it shows the institutions we have set up have done their job properly," Mr Shaw says.
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