Westland Mineral Sands (WMS) is pleased to announce that resource consent has officially been granted for its Mananui mineral sands extraction project on privately‑owned farmland just south of Hokitika.
An independent panel of commissioners unanimously approved the 16-year consent, recognising minimal environmental impact and significant economic benefits.
The commissioners stated: “Following the refinements of our process, the proposal has become an exemplar of sustainable mining.”
“This is an incredibly exciting time for WMS as we build on our past success and expand our operations along the West Coast. The Mananui project represents a significant milestone in our growth, and we are committed to applying environmentally responsible practices that have been honed through our successful pilot plant in Westport,” says WMS Managing Director Ray Mudgway.
“Since day one, we have been dedicated to operational excellence and innovation, best practice environmental management and sustainable initiatives to enhance our ecosystem and land‑use capabilities. In just two years, Westland Mineral Sands has reached key production milestones and demand for our product is stronger than ever,” says Mudgway.
The application underwent full public notification via West Coast Regional Council, ensuring transparency and genuine community participation. Over the past year, WMS engaged with iwi, neighbours, conservation groups, and council leaders to embed environmental protections in the project design.
Mananui is the second phase of WMS’s strategic growth across the West Coast. Following operational success at their Nine Mile pilot plant, Mananui will introduce commercial‑grade garnet alongside existing ilmenite production, with a long-term vision of scaling operations region‑wide and delivering enduring economic and environmental benefits.
Independent analysis by Sense Partners forecasts that Mananui will produce $71 million in annual export revenue, boost West Coast GDP by $37.9 million, and generate approximately 65–70 well-paid jobs across technical and contractor roles.
WMS is committed to best-practice environmental management, including chemical-free dredging, progressive rehabilitation, ecological buffer zones around Māhinapua Creek and Lake Māhinapua, and ongoing monitoring of water and biodiversity.
As part of the project’s infrastructure vision, WMS is investing in the restoration of the Port of Greymouth to enhance export logistics, regional resilience, and emergency response capacity with environmental sustainability at its heart. “Transparency remains central to our approach. We will continue to maintain open dialogue through the consent rollout and operational phases, ensuring local voices help shape Mananui’s environmental and socio-economic outcomes,” says Mudgway.
