Seabed Mining

National voters and green groups are lining up behind an iwi call for direct action against would-be seabed miners off the South Taranaki coast.

Projects announced to come under the fast-track bill have confirmed fears of mana whenua and environmentalists in confirmation of seabed mining in Taranaki.

Offshore wind companies have told the government the industry is not compatible with seabed mining in the Taranaki Bight.

There are fears Trans Tasman Resources (TTR) will use the government’s fast-track consenting process after they pulled out of consent hearings for the project off Taranaki’s coast.

The International Seabed Authority (ISA) has delayed finalising rules around deep sea mining, but opponents say a legal loophole has now opened for mining companies.