Whaingaroa Ward Councillor Lisa Thomson has raised concerns about the fast-track application by Trans-Tasman Resources (TTR) to mine iron sand from the seabed in the South Taranaki Bight - a proposal previously rejected in court due to its environmental risks. Now back on the table under the Government’s fast-track consenting legislation, the project has sparked strong opposition from local iwi and environmental groups.
She acknowledged that several neighbouring councils - including South Taranaki District Council and Whanganui District Council - have already spoken out against the application.
“I’m a supporter of what KASM is doing, and I’m totally supportive of what the Taranaki hapū are doing in opposition to this proposal,” she said. “The process is terrible in terms of who is able to speak to the application that TTR has on the table.”
While Waikato District is not technically classed as an “affected party,” Lisa said that should not be a barrier. “That should not preclude us from making or taking a position against seabed mining.”
She emphasised the legacy of community resistance in Whāingaroa, pointing to the work of campaigners like Angeline Greensill and Phil McCabe starting two decades ago. “That action has been very dear to the hearts of the people of Raglan and of the coast,” she said.
Lisa said the interconnectivity of the ocean means this is not just a Taranaki issue. “The seabed is interconnected, just as all of Earth is interconnected,” she said. “If it went ahead in the Taranaki Bight, we can be quite sure that it could then come here and up the coast.”
As chair of the Sustainability and Wellbeing Committee, she is exploring how Waikato District Council could bring forward a motion to oppose seabed mining and express formal support for affected iwi and coastal communities.
“It would be appropriate to raise it either through my committee or at full council,” she said. “Council might take a stance on it - a positive one in terms of opposition.”
Local Voices Shape the Long Term Plan
Council has just wrapped up public hearings and deliberations on its 2025–2034 Long Term Plan, with more than 550 submissions and over 100 people speaking in person. Lisa said two full days of deliberations followed, and the final plan will go to council for ratification in June.
She said road maintenance was a major concern raised by residents from areas like Te Akau and North Waikato. The council has opted to stick with its preferred option - not increasing roading funding - but Lisa said councillors asked staff to “really ensure that we're going to do better with what we've said we've got.”
One submitter raised concerns about small local contractors only being able to work as subcontractors under larger firms. Lisa said this sparked a wider conversation about localism and the economic value of investing in community-based enterprises.
Lisa noted that every dollar spent with Xtreme Zero Waste generates an estimated $4 to $7 in local economic activity. She said it’s worth imagining how similar benefits might be achieved if small local businesses were hired directly by council - as main contractors rather than subcontractors.
Lisa floated the idea of ringfencing part of the roading budget, for example, $1 million, to give small, local contractors responsibility for maintaining unsealed networks in their own communities. “What would that look like? And... would that return be $5 million back into the local economy?”
She said there is no current policy supporting that approach, but councillors are “encouraging our staff” to explore it further..
Full Steam Ahead on Water Reform
Lisa also sits on the establishment panel for a new water services Council Controlled Organisation (CCO), which will be jointly formed by Waikato District Council, Hamilton City Council, and Waikato-Tainui.
“It’s a panel of three delegated representatives from each council... and also Waikato-Tainui,” she said. The panel is responsible for appointing board members to oversee the setup phase.
Hamilton has already endorsed the plan, and Lisa said Waikato is preparing to ratify its own decision. “We're engaged, and we're about to be married once we ratify the decisions that we’ve made.”
The new organisation must be fully operational by July 2026. “That is at speed - to get that set up by July 2026. So there’s a lot of work happening in the background.”
Although planning has been underway, Lisa said neither council could formally proceed until the public consultation process had run its course. “We couldn’t predetermine whether we would have the support of the communities… until we went through that LTP.”
She said Waikato brings valuable experience from working with Watercare through its existing Waters Governance Board. “We come with an understanding of working in that water space.”
Procurement Policy and Palestine Solidarity Submission
One Long Term Plan submission came from the Whāingaroa Palestine Solidarity group, which asked the council to exclude certain Israeli companies from procurement due to their links to human rights violations.
Lisa thanked the group and its speakers, John Lawson and Gillian Marie, for their presentation. “Council does not procure from any of the organisations that they listed in their submission... regardless of anything else,” she said.
She proposed that council consider including exclusions in future procurement policies, but added, “That’s as far as it got.”
Māori Wards and Local Elections
Lisa also addressed the upcoming referendum on Māori wards, which will take place alongside the October 2025 local body elections. The binding poll follows recent changes to electoral law introduced by the coalition government, requiring councils that established Māori wards without a referendum to now put the decision to voters.
“Taurikura has been hosting a number of workshops… around supporting keeping Māori wards, because there’s going to be a vote,” she said, encouraging community members to get informed and take part in the democratic process.
She reminded listeners that nominations for council and community board roles open in July, with the elections scheduled for October. In Raglan, one councillor seat and six Community Board positions will be up for grabs.
“If anyone’s got any questions or are curious about standing... I’m more than happy to have a kōrero about what those roles entail as best as I can.”