Northland residents are highly concerned a project to extract more than 8 million cubic metres of sand from the Bream Bay seabed has been approved for fast-track consenting. They worry the 35-year McCallum Bros proposal could strip sand from beaches and impact fishing. But the company says the proposal is
Sand mining fears for Northland’s Bream Bay rise as project approved for fast-track consenting
Bream Bay’s Ruakākā Beach was left eroded and damaged by storms in 2023. Sand extraction opponents fear the Bream Bay proposal will stop the sand on the beach being replenished, making erosion worse. Photo / Michael Cunningham
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Those consents - for inshore, midshore and offshore areas - were either surrendered or declined through an Environment Court process where McCallum Bros was ordered to pay $500,000 to two parties who objected, plus confidential amounts to another four parties, the highest costs ever awarded through the court.
McCallum Bros has now appealed all matters to the High Court.
It also applied for fast-track approval of offshore extraction in the Mangawhai to Pākiri area but this was not included in schedule 2.
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Rayward said the Environment Court process found the sand in this area is finite - deposited thousands of years ago when the Waikato River came out on the east coast - and the sand extraction is causing ecological environmental damage to the coastline.
“Every barge-load of sand taken out has to be replaced by sand eroded from the coastline.”
The sand extraction also had cultural impacts on tangata whenua, he said.
The process also found McCallum Bros had breached its temporary consent, taking sand when it was not supposed to, Rayward said.
The fast-track process raises plenty of concerns for all Kiwis, he said.
“At a time when New Zealanders are on the threshold of not knowing what’s coming environmentally because of all the weather changes, to fast-track something with little consideration - something that’s going to go on for 30 years - to an operator that’s got a history of breaking the rules ...
“To give them the keys to our coastline would be a situation that we couldn’t even contemplate.”
Rayward is working with Tāngaro Tuia te Ora, Endangered Species Foundation to raise awareness of the Bream Bay proposal and start a petition against it, which has attracted 2600 signatures so far.
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Foundation general manager Natalie Jessup is also concerned about how the sand extraction could impact the sensitive ecosystem.
“Sand mining completely destroys the seafloor. They hoover up all the sand, which means that everything living on the seafloor gets destroyed: it damages scallop beds and fish no longer have food sources.
“It destroys fishing and also higher up the food chain, it affects the whole ecosystem for whales and seabirds too.”
This is a concern because Bream Bay’s Waipu - which includes a rivermouth wildlife refuge - is one of the few breeding grounds for the critically endangered tara iti, or New Zealand fairy tern, one of the most endangered birds in the world.
Jessup said the sand extraction would also destroy the buffer between the sea and the land, an area already vulnerable due to climate change.
While sand is needed for construction, there are viable alternative sources, including extraction from the Kaipara Harbour where sand is being naturally replenished, and on-shore sand extraction, she said.
Another alternative, Kayasand - which crushes waste from quarries to create sand - could create more jobs in Northland, Jessup said.
“A project that could be so destructive to livelihoods and beaches should not be fast-tracked,” she said.
Local hapū Patuharakeke is also opposed to sand extraction in principle, but is still working through the details of the Bream Bay proposal.
The hapū has been approached to carry out a cultural impact assessment, said David Milner, who is co-chair of its environmental arm, Te Pou Taiao.
“From a cultural and community perspective, it’s not until we get the information that we can fully understand the impacts.”
The hapū is also not sure how the fast-track consent process will work and is unsure if this will be the only chance for tangata whenua and the community to have a say.
Community will have input, company assures
But McCallum Bros said as well as working with several iwi and hapū on the cultural impacts, the company is committed to engaging with the community in meaningful consultation.
Chief operating officer Shayne Elstob said in a statement the application is to extract up to 250,000cu m of sand, for up to 35 years, from central Bream Bay at least 4.7km from the coast. It plans to operate predominantly at night using a trailing suction dredge.
At this stage, the company is still investigating the environmental impact of the proposal, with at least 14 expert reports being prepared for its Assessments of Effects.
These reports will help determine the proposal details, with the final extraction volumes and consent term ultimately determined by the fast-track panel, he said.
“Importantly, the proposal seeks to extract sand from an area that is well outside the depth of closure, a point at which there will be no effect on the beach, shoreline and dunes.”
On top of the environmental assessment, McCallum Bros has been consulting with several iwi and hapū, with the aim of addressing any cultural concerns as early as possible, Elstob said.
Once the Assessments of Effects are completed, it will start engaging in closer consultation with local business and community groups.
“The opinions of these groups are important to us but, until the assessments are finalised, we will be unable to provide meaningful answers to their concerns.”
Elstob said the comments about McCallum Bros’ breach of compliance at Pākiri needs some perspective.
“MBL [McCallum Bros Limited] operates many consents but has been extracting sand at Pākiri for greater than 80 years with no enforcement action taken by Auckland Council for this duration.
“The error was a genuine mistake in trip scheduling, which was voluntarily reported to Auckland Council immediately and corrective action was taken to prevent it happening again. The vessel extracted one day earlier due to this error and this had no effect on the annual consented volumes.”
Elstob said the company is taking significant and genuine steps to undertake a comprehensive Assessments of Effects of the Bream Bay proposal.
“MBL are preparing an application that minimises the effects of the activity on the physical and cultural environment, while also providing a high-quality concrete sand that can be used as a critical component in the building of residential, commercial and key infrastructure projects in the upper North Island.”
Denise Piper is a news reporter for the Northern Advocate, focusing on health and business. She has more than 20 years in journalism and is passionate about covering stories that make a difference.
