DOC signals support for offshore sand mining at Pakiri

In a shock turn-around, the Department of Conservation (DOC) has indicated its support for an appeal by McCallum Bros against a decision to ban offshore sand mining from the Pakiri-Mangawhai coastline. The surprise move to support the offshore appeal comes after a meeting on January 18 with Ngāti Manuhiri. The director of DOC’s regulatory services office, Steve Taylor, said DOC had filed a notice to be a party to the appeal proceedings, which are due to start in the Environment Court in May, since DOC was particularly interested in the possible effect of sand extraction on the critically endangered NZ fairy tern population that nests at Pakiri. DOC is already opposed to two other appeals before the court, for mid-shore (previously consented) and inshore mining (refused). “Advice to DOC is that the offshore proposal is the least likely to adversely impact tara iti/NZ fairy tern breeding sites. DOC wished to hear Ngāti Manuhiri’s view before joining that proceeding, having already heard the views of most interested parties other than Ngāti Manuhiri,” Taylor said.