The New Zealand government has asked Chatham Rock Phosphate (CRP) to make an application for its seabed phosphate rock mining plan to be considered as a listed project in the Fast Track Consenting Bill, Bloomberg reported, citing a company filing.
The company has been developing a plan to mine the mineral from a seabed near the Chatham Islands, off the nation’s South Coast. CRP said the new permitting regime “is potentially a game changer for resource projects and others considered to be of national significance in New Zealand.”
CRP said its application to be included on the list is under preparation and will be submitted well before the May 3, 2024, deadline. Applications will be assessed by an advisory group, and if included in Schedule 2A of the bill, will be automatically referred for fast-track approval.