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October 08, 2024
Taranaki environmentalists call for action over Fast-Track mining project
Atereano Mateariki
Posted On October 8, 2024
Download AudioIn Taranaki, the government’s recently released Fast Track project list has sparked outrage from local environmental activists.
The list of 149 national projects includes a Trans Tasman Resources operation to mine 50 million tonnes of vanadium off the Taranaki coast.
Climate Justice Taranaki spokesperson Urs Signer says the Fast Track Approvals process is undemocratic and reminiscent of the Muldoon era, likening it to a Think Big project.
“Just granting consents and to big corporations, that’s not the way things should be done, particularly in this time when we know about environmental issues with industry, and we need to have safeguards in place, and there are limited safeguards at the moment, those of us in the environmental movement say there is not enough, as it is so fast tracking and bypassing the existing legislations is an issue for us,” he says.
Mr Signer says there is a need for a united movement of environmentalists and iwi to resist these harmful proposals through protests and coordinated action across affected regions.
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