The protesters, who oppose the proposed sand-mining operation, gathered on Northland's Ruakākā Beach. Photo / Bream Bay Guardians
By Peter de Graaf – RNZ
At least 700 people have staged a noisy protest at Northland’s Ruakākā Beach against a controversial fast-tracked proposal to mine up to eight million cubic metres of sand.
The crowd included many of the region’s civic leaders, MPs, kapa haka groups and even the Waipu Highland Pipe Band.
However, high winds put paid to plans by waka ama and boating clubs to join the protest on the water.
Whangārei Mayor Ken Couper and local hapū Patuharakeke led the crowd on to the beach just after 11am on Sunday.
Couper, a dairy farmer at nearby Waipu, said he wanted to help give a voice to the community, which risked being shut out of the fast-tracked consenting process.
“We are very concerned that the benefits of this proposal will not come into Northland and, in fact, the outcomes will not be good for us at all. We will suffer ecological damage to our beaches and our people are very, very concerned about that.
“We’re here to make sure our voices are heard.”
Couper said strong winds had curtailed some of the organisers’ plans and had forced the bagpipers to adapt their uniforms, but had not deterred them from heading to the beach.
“They’re really engaged,” he said. “It’s a great peaceful protest, a real testament to the Bream Bay and wider Northland community.”
The protest was organised by the Bream Bay Guardians community group, which opposes plans by Auckland company McCallum Brothers to dredge up to 150,000cu m of sand per year from the seabed about 4km offshore.
After three years, the amount dredged would increase to a maximum of 250,000cu m per year. If granted, the consent would last 35 years.
McCallum Brothers lodged an application for fast-track consent at the end of January, with the application deemed complete on February 17.
Under fast-track rules, community groups do not have a right to be heard, but the expert panel making the decision can invite them to make a submission.
Many of Northland’s civic leaders took part in the protest. As well as Couper, they included Far North Mayor Moko Tepania, Northland Regional Council chairman Pita Tipene, councillors and Green Party list MP Hūhana Lyndon.
Local residents included Ethan Pirihi of Waipu, a kaiāwhina (assistant) at nearby Ruakākā School. He said this was “a big take” (cause) for his whānau.
“I originate from Patuharakeke, so I thought I’d come and tautoko [support] the cause,” Pirihi said. “I used to lay concrete in Auckland and I always wondered where all the ingredients to make concrete came from.
“Now I see it’s coming out of our backyard, I’m here to help stop it.”
Pirihi’s main concern was the potential effect of the removal of millions of tonnes of sand on sealife and kai moana.
Ruakākā accountant Nicole Butturini said sand mining offered “absolutely no benefit” to Northlanders.
“In fact, we’d be worse off, because of the detrimental effect to marine ecosystems,” she said. “It could also jeopardise far more significant long-term economic opportunities for Northland through tourism and recreation.”
Butturini said more innovative solutions were needed, rather than “unsustainably pillaging the environment”.
Tepania, the Far North Mayor, said he had come to the protest, even though Bream Bay was not in his district, to tautoko (support) the cause.
“We’ve heard the concerns of the community here, and the concerns of iwi and hapū and our cousin councillors, so why wouldn’t I come down and show support? This could have intergenerational detrimental effects on this community, regardless of district borders.
Tepania said they were all Northlanders “and no way do I want this sand mining proposal to go ahead”.
He said the protest had a “beautiful wairua” (spirit) and local concerns were “very palpable”.
Northland regional councillor Amy Macdonald said she came from a family of divers, boaties and surfers who all loved the ocean, so she supported the kaupapa (cause) and wanted to ensure Bream Bay got the protection it needed.
However, she also attended the protest in her council capacity, to listen to people’s concerns.
Macdonald said the regional council had a role in the fast-track process, not as decision-makers, but to offer technical and scientific advice to the expert panel.
It was not clear if the council would be able to pass on community views if groups such as the Bream Bay Guardians were not allowed to take part in the process.
“But a big part of us being able to represent Northland is hearing from the community. We’re here to listen and to learn, and support this community to speak up about what’s important to them. And the message is very clear that they don’t support sand mining,” Macdonald said.
McCallum Brothers chief operating officer Shayne Elstob said the fast-track application has been accepted and was in the process of being considered by the expert panel.
“Out of respect for the process, we will not be entering into public debate on the application through the media,” Elstob said.
In December, Whangārei District Councill voted unanimously to urge the expert panel to allow groups, such as the Bream Bay Guardians, to have a say in the fast-track consenting process.
– RNZ