Mining company considers appeal

TTR's ironsands mining application. Photo/File

Trans-Tasman Resources now has less than a week to appeal to the High Court in a bid to save its plans to mine ironsands off the South Taranaki coast. The Environmental Protection Authority's declined TTR's application to mine the South Taranaki seabed two weeks (10 working days ) ago, citing lack of certainty around negative environmental impacts.

TTR spokeswoman Rose Austen-Falloon said the company had 15 working days to appeal to the high court and intended to use that time.

"We're still considering our options," she said.

The company had applied for a consent to mine 66sq/km located between 22 and 36km offshore in the South Taranaki Bight, in what would be one of the first projects of its kind in New Zealand.

Up to 50 million tonnes of sand per year would be processed on ships to remove iron ore with about 45 million tonnes of waste sand returned to the seabed.

Chairman of the anti-mining group KASM Phil McCabe, who two weeks ago was celebrating the EPA's decision, did not see anything for TTR to gain from an appeal.

"They've been given a pretty comprehensive decision already," he said.

"I would appeal for them not to appeal."

Mr McCabe said if TTR were to appeal the decision he would expect KASM would be involved in fighting it.