PRESS RELEASE:
The government has thrown more fast-track bricks through the glasshouse of democracy today, publishing redacted documents abt projects proposed by privately owned offshore companies, only AFTER the scrutiny of a second reading in Parliament.
https://t.co/yeyOtHOCyO
So the govt throws two more fast-track bricks through the windows of democracy this week, finally publishing the project information, but only after the second reading, so no scrutiny allowed, and no economic details despite the bill's purpose.
That the government has REDACTED the purported economic benefits of seabed mining from its public release of fast-track applications seems deeply cynical, given the VERY PURPOSE OF THE ACT is ONLY economic benefits.
🧵
https://t.co/EqJFuJOtQc
#BREAKING
Australian mining company Manuka Resources has had to abandon its AGM today after an intervention by representatives of Taranaki iwi Ngāti Ruanui affirming their opposition to Manuka subsidiary Trans-Tasman Resources seabed mining in Taranaki.
https://t.co/CtExWczfMv
Today in Sydney, representatives of Taranaki iwi Ngāti Ruanui, along with six Greenpeace activists, have disrupted the annual general meeting of Manuka Resources, the Australian mining company planning to fast-track seabed mining in the South Taranaki Bight.
Rukutai Watene of Ngāti Ruanui interrupted the meeting in Sydney, Australia by taking the floor to outline the reasons that he and his hapū oppose seabed mining in their rohe.
The meeting was abandoned.
Rukutai Watene said “I am unapologetic about interrupting the Manuka Resources shareholders’ AGM. We’ve fought Trans-Tasman Resources three times in court, and three times we’ve won, but now TTR is using the Fast Track and we have to fight them again. From the mountain to the sea, from Aotearoa to Sydney, we will fight to protect our rohe and stop seabed mining from taking place.”
Greenpeace Aotearoa spokesperson Juan Parada says: “We are taking this action today with representatives of Ngāti Ruanui to demonstrate that New Zealanders don’t want seabed mining. It shows Trans-Tasman Resources and Manuka Resources that we shall resist them wherever they are – even here in Australia.
“We’re highlighting the danger that Trans-Tasman Resources may get the chance to revive its zombie seabed mining project via the Fast Track, despite years of community opposition and rejection by the courts.”
Great action by Ngati Ruanui and @GreenpeaceNZ, who shut down Manuka Resources AGM in Sydney today. Manuka is the 100% Australian owner of wannabe seabed miners Trans Tasman Resources.
https://t.co/yMk6WdTEur
This sums up our government.
A renewable project pulls out of the country because the government believes you can have seabed mining and offshore wind. You can't: they've said this, but have been ignored.
https://t.co/XYjJUs11Rs
Plans for offshore wind energy projects cancelled by investors after #NZ Govt puts controversial seabed mining project in #fasttrack law; concern is that it “could shrink or completely eliminate area available for offshore wind in Sth Taranaki”. Big loss https://t.co/j2pGF0qZSo
... the [fast-track] expert panel won't hear expert advice that for blue whales in the South Taranaki Bight, the mining will be like “living next to a vacuum cleaner for 35 years”
https://t.co/9tcPPBUVBJ
PRESS RELEASE: Trans Tasman Resources forced to retract claim that mining the South Taranaki Bight would bring $1bn a year to govt coffers. It could not verify this claim.
We call on govt to take TTR off the fast-track list.
https://t.co/18y6qNQPjl
“This project will not bring in economic benefits either to the region or the country. It will leave us in a great big mess.
"They don't even know how to get the critical mineral out of the iron sands - they haven't even got a process for how to do that.”
https://t.co/UTdrwc0XDE
Interesting to hear TTR's Alan Eggers blatantly lying to @rnz_news - we thought the media's role was to call out lies, not just run them & then get "balance" from the "other side" in very basic he-said-she-said journalism. This is not useful for public & very lazy journalism
Trans-Tasman Resources has just been given the go ahead under the Fast-Track legislation to start seabed mining off the Taranaki coast. We say NO WAY! Haere atu TTR. The community is united in our opposition to the destruction of the moana. Together, we will stop you.
We are going to pay for the bad decision making enforced by Fast track law, we are going to pay for loss of tangata whenua and public voices, dictating development always has an enviro and social price - we are going to pay !
@jwacarrollNZ@minnieprickle Many of these are going to end up like pine forestry in Tairawhiti - regretted by the local population for generations to come for their destruction and failure to deliver economic benefits. I have no idea why TTR are so desperate to mine these low value ironsands, for starters.