Trans Tasman Resources bids for fast tracking of Patea seabed mining

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Trans Tasman Resources wants to mine the seabed near Patea for ironsands.
Photo: CC2/ Phillip Capper

A company that has bidding to mine off the Taranaki coast for years is hopeful its project will be fast-tracked under the coalition’s new consent regime.

The bill is being pushed through parliament and would give three Ministers power to greenlight certain projects.

Some projects will be put on a list to be approved immediately.

Trans Tasman Resources wants to suck up millions of tonnes of the seabed near Patea to extract ironsands, but it has so far been stopped by courts ruling in favour of environmental protection.

The company has a hearing with Environmental Protection Agency next week to try its case again.

A map showing TTR’s South Taranaki Bight project.
Photo: Trans-Tasman Resources

Chairperson Alan Eggers said he had not heard anything from the government about being included in the special list of projects under the bill.

But he thought his project was worthy of consideration.

“We believe that we’re a project of national significance that would meet the guidelines for such approval and we would look forward to the government at least giving it positive consideration.”

Eggers said the bill was necessary to get mining projects over the line because the current process was lengthy and a barrier to investment.

“The time taken to get a project approved here is ever-extending and fraught with dangers of challenges from various activist groups and parties that pursue the approvals process to never-ending lengths within the courts and that must end.”

He said the proposed Fast Track Approvals bill was long overdue.