Call to stand against looming sand mining consents

KEN RAYWARD

No coastline in the world could withstand the extraction through mining of over 5 million cubic metres of sand, yet this is currently being sought with three mining consents for the Mangawhai to Pakiri beach fronts.

Extraction of sand, our areas most significant asset, starting at five metre depths and continuing out to 25 metres and further, will disfigure our underwater eco-system and have a harsh impact on shellfish beds, as well as quality of fishing, surfing and the pristine beauty of our beaches, with its precious bird life communities.

Coastal erosion also comes hand-in-hand with the community’s financial erosion as we lose our most valuable treasure – our beaches and estuary waterways.

The Mangawhai Harbour Restoration Society (MHRS) is collaborating with other community groups, Friends of Pakiri and the newly formed Stop the Sand Mining group, to urgently bring an awareness to residents, visitors and in particular, the Auckland Regional Council, the devastating impact the mining consents will have on our community if approved.

Auckland-based McCallum Brothers have advised they are lodging two consent applications. The first and most concerning is the continuance of their current consent which would allow 1.9 million cubic metres to be taken over the next 25 years, from the inshore 10 metre depth.

The second is to extract sand from the 25 metre mark, with a volume amount not yet specified, but expectations are for a minimum of 1.0 million cubic metres.

The third consent application is from Kaipara Ltd, who still have two years to run on their current consent, but have surprisingly lodged an earlier consent for a new approval to take an additional two million cubic metres starting from the 25 metre mark.

The combined impact of this orchestrated consent application process would be catastrophic on the Mangawhai and Pakiri communities.

New Zealand is the only developed country in the world that allows near shore sand mining which, given our sensitivity to the environment as a country, is hard to rationalise.

Kaipara Ltd is the first application hearing to be heard, set for early March, which will then be followed by the two McCallum applications.

Submission dates for objections to the Kaipara Ltd application has passed, but the two McCallum dates for objections have yet to be advised. When these dates are made available, how our community can join together in opposition will be broadly announced.

Every effort needs to be made to ensure our governing bodies cease condoning these practices.

§ Information will be regularly updated on the websites of MHRS, Friends of Pakiri, and the new stopsandmining.co.nz

Te Arai and Pakiri’s pristine and wild coast has been targeted for sand extraction by sand mining companies. PHOTO/JULIA WADE

New Zealand is the only developed country in the world that allows near shore sand mining.