Ngāi Tahu stance exposes what’s really going on at Santana

“Ngāi Tahu’s sudden opposition to the Santana gold mine raises an obvious question. What changed?” says ACT Resources spokesperson Simon Court.

“Just a few weeks ago, reports surfaced of a $180 million demand tied to the project. Now the same group is campaigning to shut it down altogether.

“I’ve been hearing from developers, farmers, and infrastructure providers all over the country who are sick of this kind of behaviour. Whether it’s a subdivision, a wind farm, or a mine, the pattern is the same: pay up, or face delay, obstruction, and ultimately rejection.

“When a seven-figure payout on a hydro project is cited as a benchmark, you start to see how this works. The price gets set, expectations grow, and before long it’s built into the system.

“And who pays? It’s not just the companies. It’s the public. Higher power prices, more expensive infrastructure, fewer jobs, and projects that never get off the ground.

“Central Otago has a proud history of mining. Santana represents hundreds of jobs, millions in royalties and rates, and real opportunity for the region. That’s what’s now being put at risk due to Ngāi Tahu’s standover tactics.

“We’ve already seen the campaign from wealthy celebrities who don’t want to look at a mine. Now it looks like we’re seeing something else entirely.

“The Resource Management Act has created a system where every Tom, Dick, and Hone have been empowered to weaponise tenuous grievances to negotiate concessions behind closed doors.

“ACT is replacing the RMA to narrow the scope of effects and raise the bar for who gets a say, so the system facilitates development while focusing on managing genuine effects on people truly affected.

“Not a system where projects succeed or fail depending on who can extract the biggest payment.”