30258 (2023). Hon Dr Megan Woods to the Minister for the Environment

30258 (2023). Hon Dr Megan Woods to the Minister for the Environment: How will the Government ensure the New Zealand Aluminium Smelter and Rio Tinto meet all of its environmental obligations regarding remediation of the Tiwai Point site, if at all?

Hon Penny Simmonds: As majority owner of the New Zealand Aluminium Smelter, Rio Tinto has publicly given firm commitments to the Southland community, Ngai Tahu, and the New Zealand public that it will remediate the site irrespective of whether the smelter continues to operate. The Government expects that Rio Tinto will honour those commitments and ensure the site is appropriately decommissioned and remediated, whenever that may be.