{"id":66820,"date":"2024-11-27T13:05:53","date_gmt":"2024-11-27T00:05:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/aotearoa\/?page_id=66820"},"modified":"2026-05-25T15:43:46","modified_gmt":"2026-05-25T03:43:46","slug":"what-is-trans-tasman-resources","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/aotearoa\/explore\/seabed-mining\/what-is-trans-tasman-resources\/","title":{"rendered":"What is Trans-Tasman Resources?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n
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What is Trans-Tasman Resources?<\/h1>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Trans-Tasman Resources (TTR) is an Australian-owned mining company. For more than 12 years, TTR has tried unsuccessfully to start seabed mining in the South Taranaki.<\/p>\n<\/div>

\"A<\/figure><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

What does Trans-Tasman Resources want to do?<\/h2>\n\n

Trans-Tasman Resources wants to be the first company in the world to start seabed mining<\/a> – and they want to start it right here in Aotearoa. Seabed mining is the destructive practice of stripping the ocean\u2019s seabed for metals and minerals. Mining companies want to extract these metals by using gigantic machines.<\/p>\n\n

Seabed mining would be extremely destructive, destroying beautiful habitats and ecosystems that aren\u2019t yet fully understood. It would cause massive damage to the ecosystems which sustain life all the way up the food chain, that all of us rely on.<\/p>\n\n

Trans-Tasman Resources is planning to suck up 50 million tonnes of iron sand from the South Taranaki Bightevery year for 35 years to extract vanadium, iron and titanium. Trans-Tasman Resources will then dump 45 million tonnes a year back into the ocean.<\/p>\n\n

\"Waves
South Taranaki Bight, where Trans-Tasman Resources wants to carry out seabed mining. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n

Where does Trans-Tasman Resources want to mine?<\/h2>\n\n

Trans-Tasman Resources wants mine the shallow waters between 22km and 36km off the coastal town of P\u0101tea in South Taranaki. TTR originally applied to mine 66 square kilometres. But in July 2024, the industry regulator quietly approved<\/a> TTR\u2019s application to increase the size of its mining permit from 66 square kilometres to 243 <\/strong>square kilometres! That’s nearly the size of Great Barrier Island!<\/p>\n\n

The South Taranaki Bight is home to some beautiful and rare marine wildlife, including eight at-risk mammal species<\/strong> like the pygmy blue whale and critically endangered M\u0101ui dolphin. For over 10 years, local iwi, residents and environmental groups have successfully protested against TTR’s plans to mine the South Taranaki Bight. And the Supreme Court repeatedly agreed<\/a> that environmental protection is the bottom line<\/strong>, and that seabed mining would jeopardise that.<\/p>\n\n

Trans-Tasman Resources attempted\u00a0 to bypass these environmental protections by using the Luxon Government’s Fast-Track Approvals Act<\/a>. But this too was struck down as the Fast Track expert panel declined TTR’s Fast-Track application to mine the Taranaki seabed.<\/p>\n\n

In February 2026<\/a>, a draft decision by the panel declined consent for the project, based on the overwhelming the expert evidence. They found it would likely cause material harm to marine ecosystems, threatened species like pygmy blue whales and penguins, and concluded it could not be safely managed, even with conditions attached.<\/p>\n\n

\"Infographic<\/figure>\n\n

How bad would seabed mining be for the environment?<\/h3>\n\n

Seabed mining would be devastating for the fragile ecosystems, wildlife and environment. Below are just some of the risks seabed mining would pose:<\/p>\n\n