Taranaki seabed mining firm throws itself on ministers’ mercy

Mining company Trans-Tasman Resources has unexpectedly withdrawn its application for a consent to suck the valuable metals vanadium and titanium from the Taranaki seafloor, as it apparently wagers on the Government’s new fast-track process.

It had spent two-and-a-half days putting its case to the Environmental Protection Agency’s decision-making committee, at hearings in Hawera earlier in March.

Now it’s pulling out before opponents, including local iwi and environmental groups, begin arguing three days of evidence against the seabed mining. Those groups say the company had presented no material new evidence to sway the committee.

TTR had lobbied NZ First and National to circumvent environmental regulation that has delayed its plans.

The two parties’ coalition deal says the new Government will investigate the strategic opportunities in NZ’s mineral resources, specifically vanadium, and develop these opportunities.

Newsroom called TTR boss Alan Eggers, who confirmed the company had withdrawn its application for seabed mining consent.

But he says the company remains committed to the project. “We’re absolutely not giving up. There’s a number of ways forward.”

He insists there are several options still open to the company to advance the project, like hoping the Government loosens marine environment rules, or lodging a new bid to the Environmental Protection Authority – or going through the new fast-track legislation.

“We could reapply, we could wait for new legislation to correct some of the problems with the existing legislation – we’ll look at our options. We currently don’t know about the fast track legislation. We haven’t been invited or asked,” he says.

“The legislation’s not been finalised, we’ll just have to wait and see whether it’s appropriate.”

Why should the Government treat the vanadium seabed mining project as important? “Because of the investment within the region and the jobs that we create, because of the industry that is generated and the metals we’ll provide that are required as critical minerals for the transition to green energy and net zero.”

Eggers says vanadium is not only used in reinforced steel for tools and construction, but also in new generation utility-scale batteries that are needed to underpin a transition to renewable power.

“The application is complex and we will update the regional community and all stakeholders once the next steps on this nationally significant project are finalised.”

Steve Abel, the Green Party’s resources spokesperson and a former Greenpeace campaigner, says the only credible alternative to the regular consent process is bypassing the usual rules and seeking the approval of Infrastructure Minister Chris Bishop under the incoming fast-track regime.

“I sincerely believe they’ve got some sort of nod that there’s a very good chance of them being on the fast track,” he says. “I think that will be the basis of them thinking, ‘What’s the point in continuing with this, we can just bypass all of these legal processes that we have failed to succeed at for over a decade, including at the Supreme Court, and use this new fast-track mechanism that overrides all of that legal and public process.”

A list of projects that will be automatically referred through the new fast-track process is being drawn up by a Fast Track Advisory Group appointed by Bishop and Resources Minister Shane Jones. That list will not be released until after public submissions on the legislation close on April 19.

Bishop declined to comment.

Te Pāti Māori co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer, whose iwi Ngāti Ruanui alongside Greenpeace have successfully fought the plans all the way to the Supreme Court, says there’s mounting evidence about the environmental harm of seabed mining.

“The reality is that New Zealand’s confronting an opportunity of a new blue economy, which includes offshore wind turbines, and they are in the exact same area that these guys are trying to dig up,” she said.

Cindy Baxter, chair of Kiwis Against Seabed Mining, has also been fighting every seabed mining application for the past 10 years. 

“It’s been abundantly clear that TTR could not prove the Supreme Court’s test that seabed mining would cause ‘no material harm’ to the South Taranaki Bight. There was no way in hell they could have done so, given the size of this project and the sensitivity of the oceans. But getting a clear no from the EPA could have scuppered their chances of the Government fast-tracking this project. This is a blatant political move, and a disgusting example of the havoc this fast-track legislation could wreak on the environment.”

Ngarewa-Packer is optimistic that the fast-track process won’t be a panacea for TTR. The fishing industry, which largely opposes the move, has significant influence, she said.

“Politically, knowing the fishing sector like I know the fishing sector, they have a lot of clout. So I really struggle to see how the three ministers involved would let this go through.”

On the other hand, the new Government is strongly supportive of extractive industries.

“I’m optimistic but there is a strong advocacy, they’ve been extremely open this Government about their mining agenda. They want to milk mother nature dry.”

Abel expects campaigners will continue to oppose the seabed mining project even through the fast-track process.

“I am positive and I am certain and I know that all of those groups will continue to resist and oppose it. They’re not going to lie down over this, they will keep fighting to make sure that seabed mining doesn’t go ahead.”