The Minister would not have signed the Taranaki Seabed Mining Permit

The Minister of Conservation says that if it were up to her, a deep seabed exploration permit would not have been approved off the coast of Taranaki.

license, which was granted to Ironsands Offshore Mining Limited, falls two nautical miles into a marine mammal sanctuary that houses the critically endangered Mau Dauphin and the rare Southern Right Whale.

Despite the Government stated that it would not approve any This mining exploration permit is authorized under the rules of the Coastal Plan of the Taranaki Regional Council.

It is estimated that there is between 57 and 75 maui dolphins left in the wild and the license will cover an area falling two nautical miles within the 12 miles that make up the sanctuary, which is designed to protect them.

Debbie Ngarewa-Packer, South Taranaki iwi Ngāti Ruanui, has stated that the iwi was against the decision, as I "In a blast, we were told that part of the ocean is out of bounds … [but] we are told another party, which is right in Ms. Ngarewa-Packer said that if the license was found not directly in their area, sediment plumes would flow southward into the boundaries of Ngāti Ruanui

Greenpeace. The executive director and former Green Party leader, Russel Norman, said he was disappointed by the decision of New Zealand Petroleum and Minerals, a division of the Department of Innovation and Employment ( MBIE), but not surprised

"The question is why the government did not intervene to stop them," he said.

But Mr. Norman said that all government parties should be interested in the permit and the laws in the way that was to be changed.

C Interior Minister Eugenie Sage said that if the permit had crossed her office, she would not have approved it.

"I am very aware of the shortcomings of the Marine Mammal Act, which is why I asked [the Department of Conservation] to do some work in this area, to have written and advised Minster [Megan] Woods of the shrine's meaning, I know she is aware of it, but MBIE has granted the permit, "she said.

A spokeswoman for Ms. Wood's office said the decision was made under the very strict criteria of the Crown Minerals Act, inherited from the previous government.

19659005] However, they said that there would be a complete process of the Resource Management Act with the possibility of consultation if mineral rights were requested.