Iwi members will arrive in their busloads on Parliament's front steps tomorrow to protest a mining company's latest bid to scour the seabed off the coast of the North Island for iron ore.
A hikoi led by Taranaki iwi Ngati Ruanui and environmental advocates will deliver a 6000-signature petition to MPs, calling for a moratorium on all seabed mining in New Zealand.
The petition comes as mining company Trans Tasman Resources makes its second attempt to get approval to mine ironsands on the South Taranaki Bight, around 30km off the west coast of the North Island.
The company's application was notified by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on Friday, meaning the public has 20 days to make submissions.
No application to mine on New Zealand's seabed has succeeded. Trans Tasman's first bid failed in 2014 after the EPA raised concerns about the impact on the environment, iwi and fishing interests, and its economic benefits