Debbie Ngarewa-Packer is the first of five nominees for the 2018 Taranaki Daily News Person of the Year. Helen Harvey has interviewed each of the finalists. The winner will be announced on New Year’s Day.
For the best part of four years Debbie Ngarewa-Packer has been at the forefront of the battle against seabed mining off the coast of South Taranaki.
In August last year, Trans-Tasman Resources was given consent to mine up to 50 million tonnes of iron sand from a 66sqkm area off the South Taranaki Bight for 35 years.
The decision was later overturned, appealed, and is heading to The Court of Appeal in 2019 for a final decision.