Key points
- Trans-Tasman Resources (TTR) received a marine consent from New Zealand’s Environmental Protection Authority (EPA).
- The marine consent follows a mining permit TTR was granted several years earlier.
- Chatham Rock Phosphate will use the EPA’s decision document to prepare a revised marine consent application for its Chatham Rise project.
- Changes to the Exclusive Economic Zone (Environmental Effects) Act 2012 took effect in June 2017 but were not applied to TTR’s application.
Chatham Rock Phosphate Ltd. congratulates Trans-Tasman Resources (TTR) for gaining a marine consent from the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA).
In conjunction with the mining permit granted several years ago this environmental consent enables TTR to progress toward development of a multibillion-dollar business which will benefit both the national and local economies and create hundreds of jobs.
Chatham will study the grant decision in careful detail and will use this information, along with the decision document from Chatham’s first application, to develop a revised marine consent application for the Chatham Rise project that meets the requirements of the Exclusive Economic Zone (Environmental Effects) Act 2012 (the EEZ Act).
Chatham has been working tirelessly since the refusal of its initial marine consent application to understand the gaps and shortcomings of the first application, and to identify appropriate field and laboratory studies, management and monitoring strategies, engineering designs, and comprehensive stakeholder engagement processes, to address the uncertainties and concerns highlighted by the EPA decision in relation to its first application.
Chatham also notes the significant changes to the EEZ Act which came into effect in June, 2017, which were not applied to the TTR application, and considers that these changes will allow for even more effective and transparent administration of the act. Chatham looks forward to submitting an application in the context of the revised legislation.
Chatham considers the development of New Zealand’s marine resources, including seabed resources, within the country’s exclusive economic zone to be a cornerstone of a strong economy into the future and looks forward to contributing a significant sustainable development project to the country’s economic development.
Chatham reiterates the strong environmental and economic benefits of the Chatham Rock resource, which include:
Offering security of supply for New Zealand’s most significant industry;Provision of a low-cadmium, organic New Zealand-origin product that can be applied without any chemical processing;Reduction in the carbon footprint associated with the agricultural industry;Reduction in water pollution from runoff when used as a direct application fertilizer because it releases slowly, requiring less frequent applications than conventional fertilizers, further reducing its carbon footprint.
- Offering security of supply for New Zealand’s most significant industry;
- Provision of a low-cadmium, organic New Zealand-origin product that can be applied without any chemical processing;
- Reduction in the carbon footprint associated with the agricultural industry;
- Reduction in water pollution from runoff when used as a direct application fertilizer because it releases slowly, requiring less frequent applications than conventional fertilizers, further reducing its carbon footprint.
Chatham looks forward to presenting an application in the context of the lessons learned from previously refused applications as well as the considerable work completed by Chatham to reduce uncertainty regarding the Chatham Rise project. Chatham is confident that the revisions to the EEZ Act will greatly assist in facilitating a responsible, transparent and equitable assessment of future marine consent applications in New Zealand.
