With the Supreme Court hearings wrapping up, Māori Party Co-leader and incoming MP Debbie Ngarewa-Packer is calling on the Government to put in place a nationwide ban on seabed mining permits within the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).

“For the last seven years I have worked with my iwi to stop seabed mining off the South Taranaki Bight. Our final legal battle has now concluded and as Māori Party Co-leader I will be taking this fight to Parliament and pushing the Government to commit to banning new, and withdrawing existing, seabed mining permits in the EEZ and RMA” said Mrs Ngarewa-Packer.

“Our Māori Party climate action policy, released during the election, is clear that the Crown must follow the lead of Ngāti Ruanui and Ngā Rauru and ban seabed mining.

“Implementing this policy will be one of my top priorities as an MP and I’m looking forward to using the processes and tools of Parliament to advance this kaupapa.

“I was deeply disappointed that the Attorney General intervened in the case and sided with TTR’s interpretation of Treaty law. We hope that this doesn’t reflect the position of the Government and that they will recognise how dangerous this practice is.

“Mining up to 50 million tonnes of ironsands every year for 35 years would be an absolute environmental disaster. We simply cannot allow this at a time when we are facing climate and biodiversity crises.

“Despite any ruling from the Supreme Court, the Government must ban seabed mining in the EEZ right across Aotearoa. They have a duty to protect our oceans and our climate for our future generations yet to come,” said Mrs Ngarewa-Packer.

© Scoop Media