Protestors vow to continue fight against seabed mining

Thursday, 3 October 2024

Protesters marching against seabed mining in South Taranaki have vowed to maintain their opposition if the project gets Government approval.

More than 300 people joined a hikoi at Pātea on Wednesday ahead of the Government’s expected release later this month of projects eligible for consideration through its new fast-track approvals process.

It was intended to remind the Government how much opposition there is in the region to the plan by Trans Tasman Ltd to mine the seabed off Pātea, which is widely expected to be included despite being refused by the Supreme Court and earlier courts.

Backers of the project say the project will bring billions in benefits to the New Zealand economy and provide the mineral resources required to transition to low emissions technology.

Those against it argue it’s an untested activity that will devastate the seabed and play havoc with the surrounding marine environment.

People of all ages took part in the hikoi, with those who could not walk the 2.8km from the Aotea waka to the town’s beach following the marchers in a long line of vans and cars.

Organiser, Te Pati Māori co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer said she was stoked by the turnout for the protest.

“If you have a look at the mix we have, this is what Aotearoa looks like, this is a united effort, a community effort, different ages, ethnicities, socio-economic, we stand in unity against this.

“And I think that's what we need to show the Government.”

Along with members of the South Taranaki community and iwi, were people representing Te Pati Maori, Kiwis Against Seabed Mining, Climate Justice Taranaki and Greenpeace.

They went on foot and on scooters, using walkers, riding bikes and pushing toddlers in pushchairs, chanting as they went.

Ngarewa-Packer said the list of projects to be considered for fast-tracking was expected to be released on October 17 or 18.

“If the seabed mining is included in that list, all the fighting we have done through the courts will be overturned,” she said.

If it did eventually get consent, it would take between one and two years for preliminary work on the project, and she hoped there would be a change of Government during that time.

Iwi would consider more legal action, but they would also need people to take action, she said.

“We will need faces in places, people prepared to stop lives and focus on endlessly disrupting them,” she told the crowd.

She said a statement in New Plymouth on Tuesday by Prime Minister Christopher Luxon that offshore wind developers and the seabed mining company could have to co-exist showed Luxon’s naivety and inexperience in the energy sector.

“It just won’t work. I mean, you've got a sector that's trying to encourage renewable energy, and then you've got another group that's going to come through shamelessly and ruin everything.

“If you look at the submissions, most of those involved in the renewable energy sector, the wind turbines, the fishing sector, don't support seabed mining.

“So I think he doesn't know a lot about the activity, he doesn't understand the extent and the depth of the permit areas, he’s just extremely ignorant.”

Kiwis Against Seabed Mining chairperson Cindy Baxter said Luxon did not understand the depth of feeling in Taranaki against seabed mining.

“You know, we've been fighting this for 10 years and I think he's got to understand that we don't want the South Taranaki Bight turned into an industrial mine.

“If this does go through, I would imagine it would be the first thing that we'd be asking any new Labour government to have a look at.”

Ngati Ruanui chair Haimona Maruera, who was the flag bearer at the front of the hikoi, said he was disgusted at the Government’s opinion of the value of the area’s resources.

“As a people we want to show our disappointment with the Government, their decision-making and the lack of understanding for this place and the people who live around it and with it,” he said.

“This community is bigger than a party, we are not here for a three-year term, we are here forever.”