Sand mining appeal thrown out

A decades-long fight to save Pakiri and Mangawhai sand from mining could be over, at last. Environmental groups, iwi and residents fighting the mining are celebrating a huge win, after the Environment Court threw out McCallum Bros Ltd’s (MBL) attempt to continue dredging late last Thursday, April 11. In a 160-page decision, Judges Jeff Smith and Aidan Warren said Auckland’s need for sand could not outweigh possible ecological and coastal effects and the continued cultural impact on local iwi and others. MBL has been operating under a temporary consent during the legal appeal process and it is ...