Shane Jones wants to rule himself out of dealing with seabed mining

Wednesday, 13 March 2024

Shane Jones is trying to rule himself out of decisions on Taranaki seabed mining because he’s caught between two friends: the fisheries and mining industries.

Jones, the minister for regional development, resources, and ocean and fisheries, has been in discussion with the Cabinet Office about standing aside from any decisions related to a protracted bid to mine the seabed off the Taranaki coast for iron and other minerals.

He wants to stand aside in anticipation of mining firm Trans-Tasman Resources Limited possibly seeking approval for the project through the Government’s incoming, and contentious, “fast-track” scheme ‒ though he says he doesn’t know the firm will.

He said there was a conflict of interest between his resources and fisheries ministerial jobs. But he also concedes that being a “champion” for both the fisheries and mining industries has him seeking an out.

Fisheries companies that Jones has connections with are opposing Trans-Tasman Resources’ proposed mining project at an Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) hearing being held in Hawea this week. Asked if he was opting out as he wanted to remain a friend to both industries, Jones said: “Correct.”

“I'd like to stand aside from it so that there's no drama, because I know there’s hosts of fishing interests … who are against it. But at the same time, Trans-Tasman have every legal entitlement in the world to proceed with their project.

'They're absolutely entitled to proceed, and these are valuable rare earth minerals, including the vanadium, but obviously they've got to go through a statutory process.“

Critics of the fast-track scheme have raised concerns about the potential for ministers to push though projects with which they have a conflict of interest. The fast-track bill, currently before a parliamentary select committee, gives extraordinary power to Jones and ministers Chris Bishop and Simeon Brown to bypass numerous laws to approve major projects.

Already, Attorney-General Judith Collins has handed over her powers to Minister Paul Goldsmith for any matter involving the fast-track scheme, due to an undisclosed conflict of interest.

Jones was a chairman of iwi fisheries organisation Te Ohu Kaimonana, which has opposed the mining project, and fishing company Sealord. He said he would take advice in the future about whether he is conflicted on other such matters related to fishing.

“There's heaps of other people, if there are decisions required in the future, for Trans-Tasman, who can take them who don't hold the fisheries portfolio.”

Jones’ party, NZ First, also has an interest in vanadium, a mineral Trans-Tasman Resources wants to seabed mine. In the National-NZ First coalition agreement both parties agreed to develop “strategic opportunities” in New Zealand’s mineral resources, “including vanadium”.

Jones said the only meeting he had had with Trans-Tasman Resources had been as minister of resources, recorded in publicly-available diaries.

“I've been told by them that they've never once lobbied the party and they've never given any money to the party.”

Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson said Jones’ decision to step away ‒ when he was an “ardent supporter of seabed mining” ‒ showed how vulnerable the fast-track scheme was to being “captured by corporate interest”.

“This fast-track legislation looks set to approve a conveyor belt of climate corrupt projects at the whim of a group of ministers. All while subverting the democratic processes that ensure decisions are made within the best interests of Aotearoa.

“It is vital that expert advice and the views of affected communities play a pivotal role in decisions of such stature, not industry interests. It is outrageous that under the proposed legislation a minister could bypass the advice of expert panels, ignore previous rulings from the Environment Court and approve profit-driven environmental vandalism.”

Hearings for the EPA’s reconsideration of Trans-Tasman Resources proposed seabed mining project will continue on Thursday.