Proposal to mine 'mildly radioactive' minerals alongside West Coast tourist road

Friday, 7 May 2021

The Westland Petrel Conservation Trust and DOC release fledglings found disoriented, but others are not so lucky and can be hit by a car or eaten by predators.

Residents of a West Coast community are concerned a proposed sand mine will destroy a wildlife hotspot and significantly increase heavy traffic on a spectacular scenic drive.

Barrytown locals are calling for the West Coast Regional Council and the Grey District Council to allow public consultation on a proposal to mine 5000 tonnes of “mildly radioactive” heavy mineral concentrate from 115 hectares of private farmland every week. The land is on the Coast Road tourist drive (State Highway 6), between Greymouth and Punakaiki.

The plan includes up to four truck movements an hour – up to 200 trucks a week – through Punakaiki, the village famous for its unique limestone pancake rocks.

The application says material would be processed at the site 24 hours a day and the mine would create up to 80 jobs and pay $1 million in tax a year.

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Westland petrel fledglings get disoriented and crash-land because of street lights in Punakaiki.

The Coast Road has been named by Lonely Planet as one of the top 10 coastal drives in the world, but has several known pinchpoints where trucks are forced to cross the centre line to get around steep bends. It has also been down to one lane at the site of a huge slip at Meybille Bay since 2016.

Barrytown is on the West Coast between Greymouth and Punakaiki and borders the Paparoa National Park.

Barrytown JV Ltd, which is mostly Australian-owned, wants to mine minerals including gold, garnet and titanium and truck them to Westport for export. The land that will be mined borders the Paparoa National Park and the Tasman Sea.

The councils had not yet decided whether to publicly notify the application. Barrytown JV Ltd argued public notification was not needed because the affects would be no more than minor.

This farmland in Barrytown may be mined for heavy mineral concentrate.

Steven Martin, who runs knifemaking workshops for tourists in Barrytown, said residents were frustrated with the lack of consultation.

“I’m not anti-mining … but there are so many unknowns. If they have nothing to hide there should be a public hearing.

“I am concerned about how it will affect the environment, the wildlife and the tourism industry here … is the most beautiful place, not only in New Zealand, but in the world. That’s why I live here.”

He was concerned about whether the mining activity would exacerbate coastal erosion and affect the habitats of white heron, spoonbills and the Westland petrel.

Westland Petrel Conservation Trust chairman and Coast Road resident Bruce Stuart-Menteath said the fledgling birds would crash-land if they became disorientated from lights from the processing plant, which would be operating all night. The birds nest in the hills only about 3 kilometres from the proposed mining site.

Barrytown features a beautiful stretch of beach.

Sophie Allan, from Golden Sands Horse and Wagon Tours, which operates on Barrytown Beach, said she wanted the council to consider the community’s views.

Some local businesses had been doing well despite the Covid-19 pandemic, but their popularity relied on the area’s “pristine and special nature”.

“The number of truck movements on the road is going to adversely affect my business and a lot of other tourist-oriented businesses out here.”

A letter to the Grey District Council from the company’s consultants said the potential effects on the environment from radioactivity would be negligible.

It said the naturally occurring uranium deposits in the heavy mineral concentrate had been confirmed as “mildly radioactive” but were nowhere near the level required for any regulations to apply.

The company also said the mine's effects on the Westland petrel would be low, and lighting would be limited at night.

The proposal included a new vehicle crossing on the state highway, which had been approved by NZTA.

The 15-year consent, if approved, would allow Barrytown JV Ltd to divert Collins Creek, take water and groundwater, discharge treated mine water to land and into Collins and Canoe creeks, and discharge dust to air. It would reduce the volume of land by up to 25 per cent.

The area included part of a wetland and potential significant natural area. The company's application said it would rehabilitate the land back to farmland, plant buffers along creeks and implement mitigation for noise and visual affects.

Barrytown JV Ltd did not respond to a request for comment.