About 1500 people rallied at Ruakākā Beach on Sunday against a plan to extract up to 8 million cubic metres of sand from the Bream Bay seabed, south of Whangārei.
The company said the sand is needed for concrete construction and, with the extraction being at least 4.5km offshore, it will not impact the coast.
But protest organiser Emma Hart said the community is concerned about losing everything they hold precious because the sand was around 10,000 years old and not replenishing.
“The people here in Bream Bay have everything to lose ... We will lose our fisheries and surf breaks, the seafloor life and the habitats for our critically endangered tara iti, whales, turtles and dolphins, never mind the socioeconomic loss for our businesses when our coasts are taken out through erosion caused by 35 years of sand deficit.”
Around 1500 people protested against McCallum Bro's Bream Bay sand mining proposal. Photo / Nigel Yellowlees
Hart said while the proposal is offshore, the area is still full with marine life. The ecosystem is symbiotic, so what happens offshore impacts the near-shore and coast.
The community is concerned the fast-track consenting process will allow “big business” to take a free resource for their profits, and would like a public meeting to be held, she said.
The protest included talks from the likes of a former sand mining operator and action to spell out the words “say no”.
Hart expected more action to follow, including from other fast-track project objectors.
“We have drawn a line in the sand and, while we are the first protest against a fast-track proposal, there will be others.”
Kiri Nua attended the protest with her moko, including 7-year-old Riley, right. Riley made the sign and says she’s worried fish, octopuses and crabs could die if too much sand is taken.
But McCallum Brothers said it will identify and address any impact from its sand extraction, and has committed to community engagement.
Chief operating officer Shayne Elstob said the company is working on a suite of technical reports, where subject matter experts will consider the impact on the likes of cultural values, coastal processes, surf and marine mammals.
The reports will be uploaded to the company’s website when they are completed, he said.
“We implore everyone to read our expert technical reports, once finalised, to ensure that they have the full facts to consider before forming a view on the proposal.”
Elstob said a constructive outcome from the rally would be to identify a group of community representatives that McCallum Bros can engage with, to work through concerns and discuss how the company can support the community.
Elstob hit back at accusations the company has a poor track record, as McCallum Bros has never had any enforcement action taken against it by any regulatory authority since its inception in 1904.
While the Environment Court ordered McCallum Bros to pay $500,000 in costs to objectors of its Mangawhai to Pakiri sand extraction, this decision is under appeal in the High Court and reflects the complex court proceedings, not the company’s “record”, he said.
Elstob also set the record straight on its sand barge, the William Fraser. The ship has been in the Bream Bay area, but this was for a commercial shipping job from Whangārei Harbour, not for extracting sand as some people speculated on social media.
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.
