Whangārei communities rally to oppose fast-track sand mining in Bream Bay

Members of the Bream Bay community say potential fast-track approval of offshore sand mining has galvanised them against the cause.

A proposal by McCallum Bros to extract up to 8 million cubic metres of sand from the Bream Bay seabed, south of Whangārei, is one of 149 projects listed in the controversial Fast-track Approvals Act, which became law late last year.

The company can now apply to the Environmental Protection Authority to have an expert panel assess its application and apply relevant conditions. The panel can only reject applications under strict criteria and the process does not allow for submissions from the general public.

McCallum Bros said it will still consult with the community and is currently assessing environmental effects, which are mitigated by the sand extraction being at least 4.7km from the shore.

But locals are organising protests against the sand mining and are not deterred by the fast-track law, said one of about a dozen organisers, Emma Hart.

“I think it has been a bigger call to action because we’ve heard these words before: big business bulldozing environmental concerns and big business being allowed to trash the jewel in the crown,” she said.

“The Government is giving the keys away to the highest bidder and it’s pulling us together because no one thinks this is a good idea.”

Langs Beach resident Emma Hart says local residents are gearing up to oppose sand mining in Bream Bay. Photo / Brodie Stone

The community is concerned about sand mining’s impact on beaches at Langs Beach, Waipu, Ruakākā and Whangārei Heads, including the surf breaks and dunes. It is also concerned about its effect on aquatic life, Hart said.

For most residents, the sea and beaches are why they live in Bream Bay, she said.

The response from the community has been “enormous”, with more than 7500 signing a petition against the proposed sand mining.

Residents are concerned about not only the proposal but also McCallum Bros’ record, Hart said.

The company has been extracting sand in the Mangawhai and Pākiri area, just on the border between Auckland and Northland, and was ordered to pay $500,000 to opponents in the highest costs ever awarded by the Environment Court.

Hart said McCallum Bros does not have a clean slate, and will not be able to avoid opposition by simply using the fast-track process.

“If they think the fast-track is going to allow them to circumvent public opposition, they’ve got a fight on their hands.”

The group opposing the sand mining is just getting started, she said, and plans a public protest at Ruakākā Beach on Sunday January 26 from 11.30am.

DoC raises environmental concerns

The Department of Conservation (DoC) is among those concerned about McCallum Bros’ sand mining application, according to official feedback from the department to the Ministry for the Environment.

The sand extraction zone is close to the Hen and Chicken Islands Nature Reserve, the Whangārei Harbour Marine Reserves and DoC’s coastal land in Bream Bay and Bream Head, the feedback said.

The critically endangered hawkesbill turtle, such as this one recovering at Kelly Tarlton’s, have been spotted near the Bream Bay sand extraction site, says the Department of Conservation. Photo / NZME

“Dredging does not come without a cost for marine species and any incident could have huge impact on Bream Head, Bream Bay and the islands as well as Whangārei Harbour Marine Reserve.

“It impacts marine mammals (noise, collision, degraded ecosystems), degrades habitats, threatens organisms associated with the seabed; disturbs sediments (which accumulate toxins and pollutants such as hydrocarbons and heavy metals) which release contaminants into the water columns and other changes in sediment structures.”

The sand dredging will increase water turbidity, which could impact the nationally critical tara iti/fairy tern, which hunts by sight, DoC said. New Zealand’s rarest bird only nests in five coastal sites, two of which – Mangawhai and Waipu – are close to the proposed sand mining area.

Marine reptiles have also been spotted not far from the proposed extraction site, including the critically endangered hawksbill turtle and the endangered green turtle, DoC said.

No effect on beaches, company says

But McCallum Bros said concerns about the project, raised by both DoC and locals, will be addressed through 15 comprehensive assessments of effects and technical reports being prepared.

The reports will cover impacts on the likes of marine mammals, coastal processes and cultural values. The assessments are due to be completed by early February and will be made publicly available when finished, said chief operating officer Shayne Elstob.

The reports will be able to provide meaningful answers to concerns raised, he said.

The proposal also seeks to extract sand from an area well offshore, a point at which there will be no effect on the beach, shoreline and dunes, Elstob said.

McCallum Bros has already started consultation with some organisations and plans to engage more closely with local businesses, community groups and impacted iwi and hapū once the assessments are complete, he said.

The company’s application said consenting a new sand extraction site, for concrete production in Auckland, is critical to the regional and national economy, with effects no more than minor.

The application is for extraction of up to 250,000cu m of sand a year for 35 years, in a 17sq km area of Bream Bay seabed.

The fast-track consenting process is expected to reduce consenting time by three years, the company’s application said.

“Given the importance of marine sand to the concrete component of most infrastructure and development projects, and the increasingly serious shortages of sand particularly in Auckland, rapid approval of the project will clearly have regional and national benefits.”

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.