Patea seabed mining hearing resumes on Monday

Proceedings around a proposal to mine ironsand from the seabed off Patea will resume next week.

A committee of the Environmental Protection Authority will continue its deliberations in Wellington on Monday.

Trans-Tasman Resources has applied to extract 50 million tonnes of material from the seabed and export five million tonnes of ironsand every year for 35 years - an application that has attracted much opposition.

The hearing will commence at 1pm at Clifton's Conference Centre in Willis Street, Wellington, and is due to conclude on Thursday, May 25.

It was originally scheduled to finish on March 20, but was adjourned to enable Trans-Tasman Resources and other parties to provide additional information to the committee.

The reconvened hearing will hear from subject matter experts, and from planning witnesses who will address possible conditions for any consent. There will also be closing submissions.

The committee plans to formally close the hearing on May 31 and it will then have 20 working days to make its decision.