Statement to TV3

1 September 2013  

Chatham Rock Phosphate will not be entering into a public  debate with third parties concerning its proposal to recover rock phosphate nodules from the Chatham Rise.

The appropriate forum to consider our proposal is the Environmental Protection Authority under the auspices of the EEZ and Environmental Effects Act.

This forum will involve people with the expertise to evaluate our application and the dozens of scientific reports we will be submitting in support of that application.

Any party is entitled to make their own submission as part of that process.

Recent comments made by the Deep Water Group and Sanford Limited have been largely incomprehensible and reflect that either they have not read our plans and modus operandi, or do not understand what we propose.

In either scenario it’s pointless attempting to debate the matter through the media.

Chris Castle

Managing Director