{"id":75734,"date":"2026-02-17T12:59:11","date_gmt":"2026-02-16T23:59:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/aotearoa\/?p=75734"},"modified":"2026-02-17T13:29:18","modified_gmt":"2026-02-17T00:29:18","slug":"fast-track-panel-rejects-seabed-mining-application","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/aotearoa\/story\/fast-track-panel-rejects-seabed-mining-application\/","title":{"rendered":"Fast Track panel rejects seabed mining application – we couldn\u2019t be happier"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Over the past week, we\u2019ve been walking around with ear-to-ear grins. We\u2019re celebrating along with allies and friends, that the huge people powered movement against the emerging threat of seabed mining, has resulted in a win for the moana.<\/p>\n\n

Australian company Trans-Tasman Resources have once again had their plans to mine the Taranaki seabed rejected.<\/p>\n\n

A win in the fight against Trans-Tasman Resources
<\/h2>\n\n

For over a decade, a David-and-Goliath battle has been raging off the coast of South Taranaki.

On one side: wannabe seabed miners Trans-Tasman Resources determined to tear up the seafloor, and greedy politicians making deals in back rooms for their dodgy projects. On the other side: led by the mana of Taranaki iwi and hap\u016b, environmental groups, and everyday community members standing up for the ocean that we need to keep this blue planet and all of the life it holds, healthy.<\/p>\n\n

The Expert Panel handling the Fast-Track application released its draft decision<\/a> last week, and it\u2019s a clear and unequivocal rejection of Trans-Tasman Resources\u2019 bid to mine the seabed in the South Taranaki Bight. <\/p>\n\n

Even under a process designed to make approvals easier, this project was found to be simply too destructive to proceed. The panel found that the environmental risks were too high, the impact on marine life was too great, and the project failed to meet the necessary standards.<\/p>\n\n

We\u2019ve been saying this for a long time: seabed mining would create a massive sediment plume, choking marine life, threatening the habitat of the pygmy blue whale and the M\u0101ui dolphin, and disrupting local fishing and tourism. <\/p>\n\n

\"Opposition
Opposition to seabed mining gathers outside the EPA hearing where Trans Tasman Resources Ltd is once again making a bid for content to start seabed mining in the Taranaki Bight where they propose to suck up 50 million tonnes of sand every year for 30 years, dumping most back in giant sediment plumes after extracting the vanadium.
\u00a9 Clae Baxter \/ Greenpeace<\/div><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n

Tangata Whenua stand between the moana and seabed mining<\/h2>\n\n

I was at Waitangi with my Greenpeace colleagues when the decision came out. We were there to share our commitment to Te Tiriti o Waitangi in the work that we do: Toit\u016b te Tiriti, Toit\u016b te Taiao<\/em>. It\u2019s our acknowledgement of the status of tangata whenua in Aotearoa, and it is reflective of our understanding that the rights of tangata whenua are fundamental to protecting the environment. We were at the right place to learn that iwi and hap\u016b who\u2019ve worked so hard to protect their ancestral homes, have had these rights recognised in this decision.<\/p>\n\n

\"Rukutai
Rukutai Watene and Peeti Wharehoka-Watene of Ng\u0101ti Ruanui, hold up a banner saying Don’t Mine the Moana. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n

My first call was to my wonderful friends Peeti and Rukutai (Ng\u0101ti Ruanui), who live in P\u0101tea. There were joyful tears. And a feeling shared between us that this is a welcome reprieve during a time when M\u0101ori are bearing so much injustice from a  hostile government waging war on nature, on M\u0101ori rights and on democracy. It was our moment to breathe and weep, knowing that our rights as M\u0101ori aren\u2019t invisible.<\/p>\n\n

Rukutai and Peeti\u2019s fight against seabed mining has been even longer. If you ask him how long, he would say about 20 years! It\u2019s a lot of time, energy and money their people have spent telling greedy wannabe mining companies to leave their homes, livelihoods and ways of life alone.<\/p>\n\n

Trans-Tasman Resources – trying and failing to start seabed mining for decades<\/h2>\n\n

This \u2018greedy wannabe mining company\u2019 Trans-Tasman Resources, wholly-owned by Manuka Resources (MKR), have for years been trying to convince New Zealand that vacuuming up 50 millions of tonnes of seabed each year, for decades, is safe and sustainable.

Alongside our allies we\u2019ve resisted them – and won –  every step of the way from the Environmental Protection Agency to the Supreme Court.<\/a><\/p>\n\n

And as we\u2019ve pointed out before, Australian company Manuka Resources is a company built on a shaky foundation<\/a>. Now with this latest ruling by the Fast Track panel, their desperation to bypass environmental checks and balances has finally hit a brick wall.<\/p>\n\n

Our experts have been clear from the start: this bid was always too risky<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n

We\u2019ve known all along seabed mining is too destructive to start<\/h2>\n\n

The Expert Panel\u2019s comprehensive draft decision lines up with what we\u2019ve said all along: you can\u2019t manage the destruction of entire ecosystems for profit – especially when the \u2018profit\u2019 is uncertain. It slammed the proposal on almost every front. They found that the environmental risks were too high, the impact on marine life was too great, and the project failed to meet the necessary standards.<\/p>\n\n

Essentially, seabed mining is such a fundamentally bad idea that even when the bar was practically sitting on the ground because of the Fast-Track process, TTR still couldn’t clear it.<\/p>\n\n

Timeline of Win – how Trans-Tasman Resources keeps losing <\/h2>\n\n

This wasn’t an overnight victory. It is the result of over ten years of relentless people power.<\/p>\n\n

2014 \u2013 The first \u2018NO\u2019<\/strong>: The EPA refuses TTR\u2019s first application. This was the first proof that strong evidence and public pressure could stop them.<\/p>\n\n

2017 \u2013 The escalation:<\/strong> TTR gets a \u2018yes\u2019 from an EPA process that receives lots of criticism, triggering a force of community mobilisation and legal appeals.<\/p>\n\n

2018 \u2013 The Courts step in:<\/strong> The High Court quashes that \u2018yes\u2019. This was a huge moment showing that the law can work when communities push it.<\/p>\n\n

2020 \u2013 Tikanga and Te Tiriti:<\/strong> The Court of Appeal upholds the High Court decision, forcing agencies to take Tikanga M\u0101ori and Te Tiriti seriously.<\/p>\n\n

2021 \u2013 The Supreme Court slam:<\/strong> New Zealand\u2019s highest court sends TTR packing again, confirming that the door to the Taranaki Bight remains closed.<\/p>\n\n

2024 \u2013 EPA Reconsideration: <\/strong>TTR try again, recycling their failed application and are criticised for not taking steps to address the concerns from the Supreme Court case.<\/p>\n\n

The Fast Track bill: <\/strong>Realising they couldn’t win in a fair fight, TTR indicates they will use the Government\u2019s new Fast-Track legislation to bypass the public and environmental checks. <\/p>\n\n

Luxon\u2019s War On Nature:<\/strong> 20,000 people marched down Queen Street<\/a> and thousands more made submissions against the Fast Track Bill, making it clear that sidelining environmental safeguards and public participation was unacceptable. The wave of public pressure that followed forced the Luxon government to back down from its original draft, proving once again that people power works.<\/p>\n\n

Sep 2024 \u2013 Shutting down the enablers:<\/strong> As TTR tried to hide behind lobby groups, Greenpeace took the fight to the “enablers”<\/a>, occupying the offices of mining lobby group Straterra to show that the industry’s influence and golden handshakes would not go unchallenged.<\/p>\n\n

Nov 2024 \u2013 Shifting the pressure: <\/strong>Greenpeace shuts down the AGM for Australian company Manuka Resources<\/a>, TTR\u2019s parent company, in Sydney, warning that their project will be resisted. <\/p>\n\n

2025 – Aussies wannabe miners attempt to gain social licence:<\/strong> Manuka Resources lists on the NZ Stock Exchange, leading us tocall on investors to boycott this “wannabe” miner.<\/a><\/p>\n\n

2026 – Draft Decision:<\/strong> The Expert Panel proposes to decline consent<\/p>\n\n

\"An
A blue whale feeds on krill in the South Taranaki Bight, where a giant seabed mine had been planned.
\u00a9 David Baker<\/div><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n

Globally significant – what happens in Aotearoa has a ripple effect <\/h2>\n\n

This decision matters beyond Taranaki, as global powers are pushing for so-called \u2018critical\u2019 minerals, predating on the Pacific in a geopolitical race for \u2018resources\u2019. From Aotearoa to the Cook Islands and throughout Te Moana-Nui-a-Kiwa, governments are being seduced with deals framed as part of some green transition – as if carving up the ocean floor is the way to save the planet. <\/p>\n\n

Let this win be a message that the Pacific is not a sacrifice zone and that the wellbeing of Pacific Peoples, their rights and homes won\u2019t be traded away in global power plays. In Aotearoa we have just drawn a line. Now we need to hold it.<\/p>\n\n

Now – Seabed Mining must be banned in Aotearoa<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n

This victory is a testament to the steadfastness of iwi, hap\u016b, and the thousands of New Zealanders who signed petitions, donated to legal funds and expert advice, marched on the streets, paddled the waves in protest, and even put their bodies on the line in courageous direct action.<\/p>\n\n

But M\u0101ori, ocean protectors and communities shouldn\u2019t have to fight every company who tries to pillage the ocean to line their greedy pockets. TTR has shown that they will keep trying to find a loophole, a low enough bar, or a well-priced politician to get that green light. This project is just one company and one coastline. To truly protect the moana, we need to put a final nail in the coffin of this destructive industry.<\/p>\n\n

It\u2019s time for a nationwide ban on seabed mining in Aotearoa. Let\u2019s make sure no other community has to spend a decade fighting to keep their ocean healthy.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n \t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\tPETITION: Ban seabed mining in Aotearoa\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

Seabed mining is a new threat to the oceans. Now is our chance to prevent the destruction before it\u2019s too late.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t \n Add my name\n <\/a>\n \t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/section>\n\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

We\u2019re celebrating a win by the huge people powered movement against the threat of seabed mining. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":72,"featured_media":70232,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_planet4_optimize_post_is_variant":false,"_planet4_optimize_experiment_name":"","_planet4_optimize_variant_name":"","ep_exclude_from_search":false,"p4_og_title":"","p4_og_description":"","p4_og_image":"","p4_og_image_id":"","p4_seo_canonical_url":"","p4_campaign_name":"","p4_local_project":"","p4_basket_name":"","p4_department":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[25,32,109],"p4-page-type":[6],"class_list":["post-75734","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-greenpeace","tag-oceans","tag-peoplepower","tag-seabed-mining","p4-page-type-story"],"yoast_head":"\nFast Track panel rejects seabed mining application - we couldn\u2019t be happier<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"We\u2019re celebrating along with allies and friends, that the huge people powered movement against seabed mining, has resulted in a win for the moana.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/aotearoa\/story\/fast-track-panel-rejects-seabed-mining-application\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Fast Track panel rejects seabed mining application - 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The whakapapa of my wh\u0101nau is a journey through Te Moana Nui a Kiwa. From the Whangape Harbour to Rawhiti via Ngawha, down to Tauranga Moana, over to Tupapa and Ngatangiia in Rarotonga, and north again to Tahiti. My tamariki, through their p\u0101p\u0101, also whakapapa to Toi village in Niue. I was raised by a frugal mother who was always mindful of her impact on the planet, and navigated it accordingly. My dad has always enjoyed nature and instilled in us that there were responsibilities we had to be able to keep enjoying it. This was my very first influence. When I became an adult and then a mother myself, decolonising my life became a priority to raise my tamariki with an unapologetic, Indigenous worldview. Along the way and without realising, my whakaaro around kaitiakitanga began to shift, or rather, return. I felt more responsible, but also more empowered. I connect the dots between 160+ years of colonisation, extractivism, social and environmental harms and injustices and a worldview that sees the environment as separate to people. That people are somehow entitled to take, own, throw away, destroy and degrade. We are witnessing the impacts from living in a system rooted in colonialism and racism and extractive industries are devastating the planet and furthering the climate crisis. Now, wannabe miners are eyeing up the seabed in the South Taranaki Bight, and also seeking to plunder the deep seas. This problem is colossal, but so is our fight to protect te taiao. There are solutions to these issues. 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The whakapapa of my wh\u0101nau is a journey through Te Moana Nui a Kiwa. From the Whangape Harbour to Rawhiti via Ngawha, down to Tauranga Moana, over to Tupapa and Ngatangiia in Rarotonga, and north again to Tahiti. My tamariki, through their p\u0101p\u0101, also whakapapa to Toi village in Niue. I was raised by a frugal mother who was always mindful of her impact on the planet, and navigated it accordingly. My dad has always enjoyed nature and instilled in us that there were responsibilities we had to be able to keep enjoying it. This was my very first influence. When I became an adult and then a mother myself, decolonising my life became a priority to raise my tamariki with an unapologetic, Indigenous worldview. Along the way and without realising, my whakaaro around kaitiakitanga began to shift, or rather, return. I felt more responsible, but also more empowered. I connect the dots between 160+ years of colonisation, extractivism, social and environmental harms and injustices and a worldview that sees the environment as separate to people. That people are somehow entitled to take, own, throw away, destroy and degrade. We are witnessing the impacts from living in a system rooted in colonialism and racism and extractive industries are devastating the planet and furthering the climate crisis. Now, wannabe miners are eyeing up the seabed in the South Taranaki Bight, and also seeking to plunder the deep seas. This problem is colossal, but so is our fight to protect te taiao. There are solutions to these issues. We must stop seabed mining before it starts.","url":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/aotearoa\/author\/juressa\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/aotearoa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/75734","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/aotearoa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/aotearoa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/aotearoa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/72"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/aotearoa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=75734"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/aotearoa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/75734\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":75743,"href":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/aotearoa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/75734\/revisions\/75743"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/aotearoa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/70232"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/aotearoa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=75734"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/aotearoa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=75734"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/aotearoa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=75734"},{"taxonomy":"p4-page-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/aotearoa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/p4-page-type?post=75734"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}