Source: Radio New Zealand
About 700 people gathered on Northland’s Ruakākā Beach to protest a proposed sand-mining operation. Supplied / Bream Bay Guardians
At least 700 people have staged a noisy protest at Northland’s Ruakākā Beach against a controversial fast-tracked proposal to mine up to 8 million cubic metres of sand.
The crowd included many of the region’s civic leaders, MPs, kapa haka groups and even the Waipū Highland Pipe Band.
However, high winds put paid to plans by waka ama and boating clubs to join the protest on the water.
Whangārei Mayor Ken Couper and local hapū Patuharakeke led the crowd onto the beach just after 11am Sunday.
Couper, a dairy farmer at nearby Waipū, said he wanted to help give a voice to the community, which risked being shut out of the fast-tracked consenting process.
“We are very concerned that the benefits of this proposal will not come into Northland and, in fact, the outcomes will not be good for us at all. We will suffer ecological damage to our beaches and our people are very, very concerned about that.
“We’re here to make sure our voices are heard.”
Couper said strong winds had curtailed some of the organisers’ plans and had forced the bagpipers to adapt their uniforms, but had not deterred them from heading to the beach.
Protesters make their feelings clear about a proposed sand-mining operation. Supplied / Bream Bay Guardians
“They’re really engaged,” he said. “It’s a great peaceful protest, a real testament to the Bream Bay and wider Northland community.”
The protest was organised by the Bream Bay Guardians community group, who oppose plans by Auckland company McCallum Brothers to dredge up to 150,000 cubic metres of sand per year from the seabed about four kilometres offshore.
After three years, the amount dredged would increase to a maximum of 250,000 cubic metres per year. If granted, the consent would last 35 years.
McCallum Brothers lodged an application for fast-track consent at the end of January, with the application deemed complete on 17 February.
Under fast-track rules, community groups do not have a right to be heard, but the expert panel making the decision can invite them to make a submission.
Many of Northland’s civic leaders took part in the protest. As well as Couper, they included Far North Mayor Moko Tepania, Northland Regional Council chairman Pita Tipene, councillors and Green list MP Hūhana Lyndon.
Local residents included Ethan Pirihi of Waipū, a kaiāwhina (assistant) at nearby Ruakākā School. He said this was “a big take” (cause) for his whānau.
“I originate from Patuharakeke, so I thought I’d come and tautoko [support] the cause,” Pirihi said. “I used to lay concrete in Auckland and I always wondered where all the ingredients to make concrete came from.
“Now I see it’s coming out of our backyard, I’m here to help stop it.”
Protesters opposed to a sand-mining proposal off Northland’s Bream Bay march down Ruakākā Beach. Supplied / Bream Bay Guardians
Pirihi’s main concern was the potential effect of the removal of millions of tonnes of sand on sealife and kai moana.
Ruakākā accountant Nicole Butturini said sand mining offered “absolutely no benefit” to Northlanders.
“In fact, we’d be worse off, because of the detrimental effect to marine ecosystems,” she said. “It could also jeopardise far more significant long-term economic opportunities for Northland through tourism and recreation.”
Butturini said more innovative solutions were needed, rather than “unsustainably pillaging the environment”.
Far North Mayor Moko Tepania said he had come to the protest, even though Bream Bay was not in his district, to tautoko (support) the cause.
“We’ve heard the concerns of the community here, and the concerns of iwi and hapū and our cousin councillors, so why wouldn’t I come down and show support? This could have intergenerational detrimental effects on this community, regardless of district borders.
“We’re all Northlander at the end of the day and no way do I want this sand mining proposal to go ahead.”
Tepania said the protest had a “beautiful wairua” and local concerns were “very palpable”.
McCallum Brothers has been contacted for comment.
In December, Whangārei district councillors voted unanimously to urge the expert panel to allow groups, such as the Bream Bay Guardians, to have a say in the fast-track consenting process.
Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand