“If we want to be part of a global supply chain and we have critical minerals, we should be mining them.”Vidal said the Government understood it had a role to play and that the mining plan would be good for the economy. Despite the draft decision, Vidal remained optimistic about the future of mining in New Zealand. People marching through Patea in a hīkoi to oppose seabed mining. Photo / Te Korimako o Taranaki“They have no support.”Davidson said, if the Government relied on seabed mining as a way to grow the economy, it was “at a dead end”. Led by Ngāti Ruanui iwi, the seabed mining proposal faced opposition across Taranaki and Te Tai Hauāuru, she said.

Source: New Zealand Herald February 06, 2026 11:16 UTC