27 October 2016

Department will not submit on iron-sand proposal

The Department of Conservation (DOC) has decided not to make a submission on the application of Trans Tasman Resources Ltd (TTRL) to mine iron-sand from the sea bed offshore from South Taranaki.

The decision was made after DOC and its independent experts reviewed the modified application, provided TTRL with comments and requested amendments to the draft conditions to address potential adverse effects on the marine environment

TTRL accepted all the revised conditions and amendments to the monitoring and management plans requested and the department does not consider that further conservation gains will be made by submitting on the application.

The Department signed a confidentiality agreement covering commercial and technical aspects of the proposal to enable the Department to assess the application which has been heavily-revised since an earlier application was refused consent in 2013. DOC was a submitter to the previous application.

Trans Tasman’s application will be considered by a Decision-making committee, appointed by the Environmental Protection Authority.

The hearings process is the appropriate forum to deal with any issues raised in submissions and the Department will not be making any further comment while the EPA process is under way.

Background

Recommendation report to Deputy-Director General Operations.

http://www.doc.govt.nz/pagefiles/165768/trans-tasman-report-to-decision%20maker.pdf

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