EPA refusing Chatham Rock Phosphate mining is great news for our environment

The decision announced today by the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) to refuse a consent to mine the sea bed of the unique Chatham Rise for phosphate is fantastic news for our environment, oceans and fisheries, the Green Party said today.

The EPA announced its decision this morning, made by an EPA-appointed decision-making committee, to refuse the consent lodged by Chatham Rock Phosphate Ltd due to concerns over the ‘significant and permanent adverse effects on the existing benthic environment on the Chatham Rise.’ The EPA cited its requirement to favour caution and environmental protection.

“It’s fantastic that the EPA has made a decision that protects our oceans and listened to the scientifically strong case of the community groups, scientists and fishing industry who came together to oppose this destructive activity,” Green Party energy spokesperson Gareth Hughes said today.

“It’s also a victory for those groups who stood up to protect the unique Chatham Rise and our environment.

“The Chatham Rise is a unique environment that kiwis want to see protected. It is home to deep sea corals and other unique marine life that sea bed mining would have destroyed.

“The decision should be a wake-up call to the National Government that it should drop its failing and environmentally destructive mining agenda and instead pursue a smart, green economy that benefits all New Zealanders,” said Mr Hughes

Petition

Support our Future of Transport Plan

To be frank, we are running out of time to address the climate crisis. Our Future of Transport Plan goes a long way to ensuring in New Zealand we ...

Petition

It’s time to extend sick leave

Staying home when sick can defend us against community transmission of COVID-19. But we know that losing the income we rely on stops many of us fro...

Petition

Let’s ditch fossil fuels once and for all

When all our energy comes from the sun, the wind, and the flow of rivers, we won’t need to burn the fossil fuels that cause the climate crisis. Our...

Petition

Support our Poverty Action Plan

Our Poverty Action Plan will completely change the way we support people in New Zealand so when people ask for help, they get it. It overhauls the ...

Action

Local Events

We have activists across Aotearoa / New Zealand who are working hard to build a brighter future for our kids and grandkids. This page lists upcomin...

Action

It's time to pay our essential workers a dignified wage

Our essential workers are the heroes getting us through the COVID-19 crisis, yet for too long they’ve been...

Volunteer

The Greens are proud to be driven by passionate people like you. Today we need your help to take action on the biggest issues facing New Zealand.

Latest Environment Announcements

Story

Greens commit to ensuring strong oceans protection this term

The Green Party will work with Labour this term to ensure better protections for our oceans, Green MP Eugenie Sage said today.

Successful prosecution of Talley’s deep-water fishing division shows need for more marine protected areas and better enforcement

Today’s ruling that Talley’s deep-water fishing division, Amaltal, is guilty of bottom trawling in the Hikurangi Marine Reserve demonstrates the ne...

Green Party commits to stronger urban tree protection and no new mines on public conservation land

The Green Party is the only party in Parliament which is explicitly committing to protecting public conservation land and the indigenous plants and...

Greens must be at table during RMA reform to protect environment

The Green Party welcomes Labour’s commitment to reform the Resource Management Act, but says a Green voice is crucial to ensure the environment is ...

Take action to protect our oceans

We’re taking the health of our oceans seriously and our Thriving Oceans Plan sets out exactly how the Green Party will protect them so we all can e...

TAKE ACTION

Thriving Oceans

Oceans are the lifeblood of our planet and home to thousands of taonga species, providing us with nourishing food to feed our families, supporting...