Source: Radio New Zealand
Green Party-co-leader Marama Davidson. RNZ / Samuel Rillstone
The Green Party is pledging to revoke consents for any coal, hardrock gold, or seabed mining projects granted under the fast-track regime, if it forms part of a government at the next election.
“Today, we are putting the Seabed mining, hardrock gold mining and coal mining industries – and their investors – on notice. Your fast-track consents are not safe, and they are not secure,” Green Party-co-leader Marama Davidson said.
The Greens have been warning they would revoke consents as far back as December 2024, when the initial fast-track bill passed its third reading.
Then, it was a pledge to revoke consents that “short-cut our democracy, side-step environmental protections and degrade te taiao.”
Now, it has named seven specific projects it would revoke consents or permits, even though they are yet to be issued.
Davidson said the Greens were making the announcement before consents were issued to “ensure complete transparency”.
Panels are currently considering the Taranaki VTM project by Trans Tasman Resources, which would extract up to 50 million tonnes of seabed a year in the South Taranaki Bight, and the Waihi North project by Oceana Gold, which would expand gold and silver mining operations in Waihi.
Four of the remaining five projects (Macraes Phase Four, Buller Plateaux Continuation, Rotowaro Mine Continuation, and Bream Bay Sand Extraction Project) are listed on the fast-track website, while the fifth (Bendigo-Ophir Gold Project) has applied.
While the Greens singled the seven specific projects out, they said any new applications through fast-track that fell into the coal, hardrock gold, or seabed mining categories would be captured by their position.
The government is currently in the process of [. https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/579045/fast-track-law-final-approvals-still-in-hands-of-expert-panels-government-says amending the fast-track legislation further], with an aim of passing it by the end of the year.
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
