Decision to mine iron sands off the South Taranaki Bight

The Decision-making Committee, appointed by the Board of the Environmental Protection Authority to decide a marine consent application by Trans-Tasman Resources Ltd, has granted consent, subject to conditions, for the company to mine iron sands off the South Taranaki Bight.

However, after hearing and considering all the evidence, submissions, reports and information, members of the Decision-making Committee did not agree in the final deliberations. 

Committee Chairman Alick Shaw and Dr Kevin Thompson voted to grant consent. Deputy Chair, Sharon McGarry and Gerry Te Kapa Coates, voted to refuse consent, citing concerns over localised adverse environmental effects and tangata whenua existing interests. 

In accordance with the procedures adopted before the hearing began, the decision to grant consent, subject to conditions, was determined on the casting vote of Mr Shaw, as Chair of the DMC. 

While the committee worked collaboratively on the agreed factual narrative of the report, it recorded major differences in its interpretation of the evidence. These differences are set out in Part Two of the Record of Decision document.

The full text of the decision document and reasons can be found on the EPA website

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