Sculpturing against sandmining

Hundreds of young people are expected to gather on Ruakaka Beach on Labour Weekend to draw a clear message in the sand that they want Bream Bay’s coast and oceans protected.

The Youth Ambassador Beach Rally on October 25 is being organised by the Bream Bay Guardians Trust, who envisage the coastline turning into a sea of sandcastles to protest mining company McCallum Brothers’ fast track proposal to dredge more than eight million cubic metres of sand from the area. 

Guardians’ spokesperson Mary Sinclair says the group has been working with Bream Bay schools to educate students about healthy oceans such as the landmark United Nations High Seas Treaty, which seeks to protect 30 per cent of the world’s marine and coastal areas by 2030. The treaty has been ratified by 75 countries and will take effect next January. New Zealand signed the agreement in 2022, but has yet to endorse it further. 

Sinclair says the rally will allow local young people to take action where political leaders have not.

“This event will highlight the irony that while McCallum Brothers want to strip Bream Bay’s sand and send it to Auckland for construction, youth will be using the same sand to build a vision for protection and sustainability,” she says. “The message is clear – the environment must be protected for future generations.” 

Bream Bay Youth Ambassador Beach Rally, Ruakaka Surf Club, October 25, from 12.30pm.