Perhaps the most controversial project on the [Government's Fast Track consenting] list - given opposition to similar operations further down the coast - is a proposal to mine sand off Waipū Cove in Bream Bay.

Natalie Jessup, general manager of Tāngaro Tuia te Ora-Endangered Species Foundation, said the potential fast-tracking of sand mining was deeply disappointing.

"This is a heart-breaking blow for Aotearoa's coastline. Bream Bay, like Mangawhai and Pākiri, 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."

Via: Northland's fast-track approvals show heavy focus on infrastructure