The mineral recovery operation, over 20 years, will take place up to 36km offshore in the South Taranaki Bight. Photo / Supplied
The mineral recovery operation, over 20 years, will take place up to 36km offshore in the South Taranaki Bight. Photo / Supplied
OPINION:
I have to admire Debbie Ngarewa-Packer's passion and emotion as evidence in her recent commentary on her Private Members' Bill calling for Seabed Mining in New Zealand to be banned.
Unfortunately, her passionate claims are not supported by the science and engineering. Her rhetoric is alarmist and flies in the face of the extensive expert evidence, scientific, engineering, marine research and observational data presented to the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) to have Trans-Tasman Resources (TTR) marine consents considered and granted in 2017.
TTR's South Taranaki Bight (STB) project has been extensively evaluated by the EPA and considered twice under the Exclusive Economic Zone Act environmental approvals regime. The latest successful application was endorsed by world-leading independent environmental and scientific experts.
TTR's system to extract titanomagnetite concentrate (iron ore) and redeposit sediment, utilising existing internationally-proven marine dredging technology, is designed to minimise environmental effects.
The mineral recovery operation, over 20 years, will take place up to 36km offshore in the STB where the seabed area directly impacted by removal and re-deposition of the titanomagnetite sand will be readily restored in a relatively short timeframe (less than two years) as part of the approved 2017 consent requirements.
Thirty-five years of marine monitoring and research in the STB will be undertaken by TTR, along with all stakeholders, including local iwi, to ensure the operation complies with the low-impact conditions and achieves the full rehabilitation required by the consent conditions.
Expert evidence and marine research, that has been independently reviewed by EPA-appointed experts in the STB, shows the offshore environment will be protected with no widespread or long-term adverse effects.
Trans-Tasman Resources executive chairman Alan Eggers. Photo / Supplied
TTR's proposed operation is not a threat to or will have any adverse effect on the nearshore environment, beaches, reefs, marine ecologies or marine life.
TTR's 3.8 billion tonne vanadium-rich titanomagnetite offshore resource is a world-class deposit capable of delivering over 300 full-time jobs and 1,665 indirect jobs in support and service industries. In addition, it will provide much-needed infrastructure investment in the Taranaki/Whanganui regions along with taxes and royalties to the Crown. This will come at no cost to the taxpayer.
The extraction and recovery of iron ore concentrate from STB's iron sand deposits has significantly lower (less than half) carbon footprint over the mining of land-based sources of iron ore. The deposits discovered in the STB have been developed by nature to leave the titanomagnetite sand ready for direct recovery without the need for large-scale emissions from land-based mining and processing operations.
Globally, sustainable subsea mining is now being viewed as the best way to meet the insatiable world demand for minerals and metals. TTR's proposed mineral recovery operation will be a major contributor to low carbon "green steel" production and produce vanadium.
Vanadium is an essential additive to steel making but has a growing demand as a battery component being a viable storage solution for large-scale renewable power sources in vanadium redox flow batteries. Research is also progressing on the use of vanadium as cathodes for lithium-ion batteries to combine the best of both technologies, creating batteries that charge faster, are safer and last longer than existing technology.
The science and engineering, along with the effects over the 20-year mine life, are clear.
This environmentally low-impact metal recovery operation will help meet the demand for the essential strategic minerals and deliver a large range of economic, social, employment, educational and marine research benefits to the wider region, and especially to South Taranaki.
As evidence provided to EPA confirms, TTR has continuously attempted to consult and engage with all Taranaki-based iwi, including Ngarewa-Packer's own Ngãti Ruanui.
In addition, as mana whenua and to meet our kaitiaki obligations, significant fees were paid by TTR to Ngãti Ruanui as part of this engagement process. Unfortunately, TTR's offers for meaningful engagement, and our willingness to listen to and understand south Taranaki and Whanganui-based iwi's concerns regarding the project have been ignored.
New Zealand is well placed to develop a new long-term $1 billion plus export industry, producing one of the lowest carbon intensity iron ore concentrates in the world. Ngarewa-Packer's bill, if enacted, would deny New Zealand access to this unparalleled economic opportunity.
