Green Party-co-leader Marama Davidson.
Photo: RNZ / Samuel Rillstone
The Green Party is pledging to revoke consents for certain mining projects granted under the fast-track regime if it forms part of a government at the next election.
“Today, we are putting the seabed mining, hardrock gold mining and coal mining industries – and their investors – on notice. Your fast-track consents are not safe, and they are not secure,” Green Party-co-leader Marama Davidson said.
The Greens have been warning they would revoke consents as far back as December 2024, when the initial fast-track bill passed its third reading.
Then, it was a pledge to revoke consents that “short-cut our democracy, side-step environmental protections and degrade te taiao.”
Now, it has named seven specific projects it would revoke consents or permits, even though they are yet to be issued.
“This is a very clear line in the sand, specifically around these most destructive forms of mining. We’re committing that we will revoke them, even if consents are issued,” said the Greens’ resources spokesperson Steve Abel.
Davidson said the Greens were making the announcement before consents were issued to “ensure complete transparency”.
Panels were currently considering the Taranaki VTM project by Trans-Tasman Resources which would extract up to 50 million tonnes of seabed a year in the South Taranaki Bight, and the Waihi North project by Oceana Gold, which would expand gold and silver mining operations in Waihi.
Four of the remaining five projects (Macraes Phase Four, Buller Plateaux Continuation, Rotowaro Mine Continuation, and Bream Bay Sand Extraction Project) were listed on the fast-track website, while the fifth (Bendigo-Ophir Gold Project) had applied.
While the Greens singled the seven specific projects out, they said any new applications through fast-track that fell into the coal, hardrock gold, or seabed mining categories would be captured by their position.
If a project were to apply through the conventional consent process, it would be exempt, though Abel said it was still the Green Party’s view that there was “no future” for these types of mining.
Oceana Gold’s application for the Waihi North consent estimated the project would add at least 300 new jobs, while Trans-Tasman Resources said the Taranaki VTM project would create approximately 300 Taranaki-based direct jobs and around 170 in the wider region in logistics, services, and supplies.
Abel said as the announcement was “a pre-emptive warning” it did not affect existing jobs, and he did not believe there was any sovereign risk.
“This government has wiped out thousands and thousands of jobs – 10,000 public servants alone. It’s a bit rich to say they’re going to claw back a few hundred jobs by destroying our most precious places.”
Davidson said the policy would be a priority for any potential coalition negotiations with Labour.
The New Zealand Minerals Council described the announcement as “performative nonsense” and said it would threaten the economy, jobs and investment in New Zealand.
“We need some economic drivers in New Zealand sooner, rather than later, and that is what the projects listed in the Fast-track Approvals Act are,” said chief executive Josie Vidal.
“It is disingenuous to suggest that projects that have been approved could suddenly be stopped for no valid legal reason – and certainly no reason based in facts, evidence and science.”
The government was currently in the process of amending the fast-track legislation further, with an aim of passing it by the end of the year.
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