A new, 35-year sandmining operation by McCallum Brothers' in Bream Bay has been listed among 149 fast-track projects. If approved, their destructive practices—already ongoing for decades in Mangawhai and Pakiri—would expand further north, threatening the coastline along Langs Beach, Waipu Cove, and Ruakākā. This expansion would further endanger the fragile coastal environment and its vulnerable marine life.
Natalie Jessup, General Manager of Tāngaro Tuia te Ora - Endangered Species Foundation, expressed deep disappointment over the decision:
“This is a heartbreaking blow for Aotearoa’s coastline. Bream Bay, like Mangawhai and Pakiri, is home to some of our most vulnerable species, including the critically endangered tara iti (New Zealand fairy tern). Approving sand mining here is not only environmentally destructive but a betrayal of the communities who have fought to protect these areas for decades.”
The dedicated efforts of iwi, local communities, and conservation groups, including Ngāti Manuhiri, Te Whānau o Pakiri, Save Our Sand Mangawhai Pakiri, Mangawhai Harbour Restoration Trust, Friends of Pakiri Beach, Department of Conservation and the NZ Fairy Tern Trust have worked for decades to protect these fragile coastlines. However, the recent decision by the National Government has ignored these voices and looks to approve further destruction by McCallum Brothers.
“This decision shows a total disregard for environmental sustainability and community concerns,” added Jessup. “We need to prioritise restoring our democracy, giving people a voice, and stopping harmful practices like sand mining and bottom trawling. There are sustainable sand alternatives, such as Kaya Sands, that need our support instead.”
It is crucial to highlight that sand does not meet the criteria for critical minerals, as it is neither rare nor facing supply shortages. Including sand mining in the list of fast-track projects conflicts with international guidelines and lacks a valid environmental justification.
As climate change accelerates and severe weather events intensify, the need to protect our coastlines has never been more urgent. Sand mining erodes natural coastal defences, irreparably damages sea floors, and threatens marine biodiversity.
“We are better than this,” Jessup says. “Our future lies in nurturing our natural world, not destroying it. It’s time to take a stand for our whenua, our moana, and the endangered species that call these precious ecosystems home.”
You can help protect our coastlines by signing our petition and urging Chris Bishop and Shane Jones to reconsider this devastating decision and the many others that will fast track destroy some of our most precious places here in Aotearoa.
For comment and further information please contact:
Natalie Jessup
General Manager Tāngaro Tuia te Ora, Endangered Species
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