Seabed mining giant withdraws application following ‘scathing’ EPA draft, iwi blasts move as ‘cynical abuse’

The battle to permanently ban seabed mining intensified after Trans-Tasman Resources Limited (TTR) abruptly withdrew its Fast-track application for the South Taranaki Bight, with iwi leaders immediately accusing the company of a calculated maneuver to avoid formal government rejection.

Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Ruanui Trust delivered a scathing response, calling the withdrawal a “cynical, bad-faith abuse of New Zealand’s environmental laws.” The move follows the release of a government-appointed Expert Panel’s draft decision, which reportedly branded TTR’s supporting information as “uncertain,” “inadequate,” and “materially deficient.”

“This is a case of history repeating itself,” said Ngāti Ruanui Pou Whakahaere Rachel Arnott. “After forcing our uri and the public through the gruelling and experimental fast-track process, they have cut and run.”

Arnott argued that by withdrawing now, TTR prevents a “formal rejection on their record,” enabling them to “keep their project on life-support while they look for a new back door, or friendlier legislative loophole.”

Te Pāti Māori Co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer, who is spearheading the effort, hailed the company’s exit as a win for the long-standing resistance by “iwi, hapū, environmental advocates, legal teams, and whānau.”

However, the Co-leader also warned that the fight is not over, noting that Minister Shane Jones had announced an $80 million “critical minerals” package on the same day, opening the door for extractive industries that would include vanadium and titanium—the very minerals TTR was seeking.

“Be warned Shane Jones will let them rebrand, regroup and reapply,” the Co-leader stated.

To counter the threat, Ngarewa-Packer has introduced a Member’s Bill to all representatives of the house calling for a permanent ban on seabed mining in Aotearoa. This move is unequivocally supported by Ngāti Ruanui.

“Permanent protection means no future government, no rebranded application, and no new minerals package can open that door again,” the Co-leader said, vowing to “keep fighting until seabed mining is banned for good.”