March 08, 2023
Iwi dragged back to EPA over sea mining plan
Māori Party co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer says the Government should be bold and shut down offshore mining rather than subject people to another round of Environmental Protection Agency hearings.
The EPA has appointed a new decision-making committee led by retired judge Lyn Stevens KC to reconsider a Trans-Tasman Resources application to mine iron sands off the south coast of Taranaki.
Ms Ngarewa-Packer, who before entering parliament led Ngati Ruanui’s challenges to the plan, says it’s frustrating the iwi has to go through it all again.
“No matter how much as we in our communities don’t want it, no matter how much we advocate, lobby, even successfully win up to the highest courts in the land, until the Government gets off its lethargic backside we will always be subject to these type of companies with big, big pockets coming back at us and coming back at us,” she says.