Story by Lineni Tuitupou
A delegation from Ngāti Ruanui, one of the Taranaki iwi at the centre of seabed mining protests, has hand-delivered a trespass notice to mining company Trans Tasman Resources and its parent company, Manuka Resources.
The delegation, which also included Greenpeace Aotearoa, gained access to the head office in Sydney and asked to meet with company leaders. The request was declined.
Rukutai Watene, who led the delegation, was barred from a meeting space at the head office by Manuka Resources co-founder Haydn Lynch.
“I’m here to issue a trespass notice to Trans Tasman Resources, Manuka Resources. On behalf of Ngāti Ruanui…that your deep-sea mining, seabed mining is not welcome or wanted in Taranaki.”
The trespass notice was issued by Ngāti Ruanui and presented in person by representatives of the Ngāti Ruanui hapū.
Greenpeace Aotearoa spokesperson Juressa Lee, who was also present, criticised the mining companies.
“It’s a real shame that they threaten us with a trespass when Ngāti Ruanui have been trying to keep Manuka Resources and Trans Tasman Resources out of their ancestral waters in their region for more than 12 years.”
The action taken in Sydney follows Trans-Tasman Resources’ (TTR) sudden withdrawal from the fast-track application process last week. That move coincided with the Government’s announcement of an $80 million in funding for critical minerals.
TTR Executive Chairman Alan Eggers stated the company pulled the application after a “disappointing” draft decision from the expert panel. He criticised the process as “unfair” and “costly”, noting the company had been invoiced over $1.5 million by the EPA.
The $80 million in funding is a ring-fenced portion of the Regional Infrastructure Fund (RIF), part of a wider government strategy to map and extract minerals essential for the green energy transition and economic self-reliance.
However, Rachel Arnott, Kaiwhakahaere o Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Ruanui Trust, is questioning the timing: “There has to be a backdoor deal going on”
Te Pāti Māori Co-Leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer backed those concerns.
“It’s not accidental… that Trans-Tasman Resources withdrew the same day that the critical mineral list came out.”
There are 35 minerals on the government’s critical list. Vanadium-rich iron sand is exactly what TTR intends to harvest from the South Taranaki Bight.
Minister Shane Jones has rejected claims of a “backdoor deal”, arguing the fund makes projects more accessible to mining companies to boost the economy. He maintains that these projects will create much needed employment.
“Tokomaha noa atu ngā whānau kei ngā rohe a rātou tamariki e horekau e mahi.”
While politics remains a tug-of-war over the future of the industry, the iwi representatives in Sydney say they will continue to stand for a total ban on seabed mining. After being shut out of the boardroom, Rukutai Watene served the trespass notice outside the room where staff had retreated.
He says they will continue to fight for their moana, for their whenua, and for mokopuna of tomorrow.
