Bream Bay braces for sandmining battle

Victorious campaigners against sandmining on the Mangawhai/Pākiri coastline are vowing to stand alongside their Bream Bay neighbours, as McCallum Bros shifts its focus north.
MangawhaiFocus - 10 Sept 2025

McCallum Bros abandons Pakiri sandmining, eyes up Te Akau Bream Bay

An environmental battle to save the ocean fought by generations of local families has finally come to an end, with a company abandoning its bid to continue sand mining off the Pākiri coast.
NZ Herald - 4 Sept 2025

Survey of candidates for Whangarei local body elections reveals the majority oppose sand-mining in Te Akau Bream Bay

The “No Sandmining in Te Akau Bream Bay” sub-committee of the Whangarei Heads Citizens Assoc surveyed all 41 candidates in the up-coming local body elections to ask their position on sand-mining in Bream Bay. The majority were strongly opposed. More detail about the individual responses and their reasons why are in this document.
2 Sept 2025

Pākiri Beach sand mining to stop

Ngāti Manuhiri are celebrating the win as McCallum Bros drop their High Court appeal against their ban to landmine in Pākiri / Mangawhai.
RNZ - 3 Sept 2025

Decades-long fight over sand mining ends with court appeal withdrawal

A years-long battle between Pākiri locals and a sand mining company has ended after McCallum Bros withdrew its High Court bid to continue dredging operations in Auckland's north.
TVNZ News - 30 August 2025

Full house for Ocean documentary

As highlighted in the Bream Bay News recently, a free screening of David Attenborough’s film OCEAN was well attended in Waipu recently. Over 230 people came along to see the film and to hear about the Bream Bay Guardian’s work to oppose McCallum Bros sand-mining proposal for Bream Bay.

Protestors confront Shane Jones in Whangarei

“Shame on Shane” chants drown out the Minister’s bluster. [RNZ]

Up to 100 protestors brave the driving rain to confront Shane Jones. [NZ Herald]
NZ Herald - 17 August 2025

Auckland Council to re-evaluate Pākiri Beach sand mining compliance, denies regulatory negligence

Auckland Council has agreed to investigate whether it should have done more to monitor past sand mining near Pākiri Beach.
RNZ - 23 July 2025

Any mining in the bay is "absolutely unacceptable"

Locals fear a fast-tracked sand mining plan will turn Bream Bay’s pristine beaches to mud.
RNZ - 12 February 2025

Around 1500 people said "say no" to the fast-track project by McCallum Bros to mine sand from Bream Bay over 35 years.

Bream Bay sand mining protest
NZ Herald - 28 January 2025

Removing Sand would leave Bream Bay’s coastline even more vulnerable

Bream Bay’s coastline - already ‘absolutely wrecked’ during Cyclone Gabrielle, would be even more vulnerable to storm surges, rising sea levels and coastal erosion if 8.45 million m3 of sand is removed through sand mining.
NZ Herald - 25 Jan 2025

Whangārei communities rally to oppose fast-track sand mining in Bream Bay

Members of the Bream Bay community say potential fast-track approval of offshore sand mining has galvanised them against the cause.

Environment court found evidence provided by McCallum was ‘patchy’, ‘inconclusive’ and even ‘incorrect’

Sand mining company ordered to pay $500k in court costs in Pākiri beach case
NZ Herald - 7 Nov 2025

The mining company received record legal costs $500,000 by the Environment Court.

Whangārei iwi, Ruakākā community protest sand mining in Bream Bay

“Our view is that there is plenty of consented sand in Auckland between the industry players. More than what is being lost by McCallums’ consent.”

Sand wars: Rejected mining firm says council doesn't understand 'complex' issue

“Fast tracking an application from a company with a history of environmental concerns seems to highlight the absolute risk of fast tracking across the board. I think this absolutely exemplifies why fast tracking is a bad idea when it has this environment component to it.”

RNZ The Panel, Wallace Chapman and panelists David Farrar & Claire Amos 12.2.25

A flotilla of more than 50 watercraft converged from Whangārei Heads to Langs Beach to oppose the proposal to dredge nearly 8.5 million cubic meters of sand over the next 35 years.

Hundreds in Northland protest fast-tracked sand mining operation

A leading economist says the economic benefits from a Northland sand mining proposal are so unclear, he questions how the project was included in fast-track legislation.

Northland sand mining plan under fire for unclear economic benefits

New Zealand's first in-depth aerial sandspit survey has revealed more than 420,000 tonnes of non-replenishing sand has been lost from Mangawhai sand spit.

Mangawhai spit loses massive quantities of sand - aerial survey finds