Tāiko Critical Minerals Ltd

Barrytown Mineral Project

On 29 April 2024, Tāiko Critical Minerals Limited (TCM) - then known as TiGa Minerals & Metals - was granted a resource consent to mine minerals and heavy metals on private farmland at the Barrytown Flats on the West Coast, New Zealand.

In October 2025 TCM was granted a resource consent application by the Grey District Council for a minerals separation plant (MSP) at Rapahoe.

This new plant completes the necessary consents needed to allow Tāiko to mine and process minerals into final value-added products for export.

Mining with the environment

Working with the community

A world class, high grade critical minerals deposit.

Recent Highlights

  • Granted Resource Consents for the Coates South Block

  • Given Listed Project status in the Fast Track Approvals Bill Legislation for Resource Consents for the Southern Resource Block

  • Completed test work to recover Critical Minerals and Rare Earth Elements

  • Completed an extensive drilling campaign which revealed a substantial resource base supporting the 20 year-plus mine life

  • Granted resource consent for the Minerals Separation Plant at Rapahoe.

  • Secured a 30-year lease with Birchfield Coal Mines for the site on which to construct the MSP at Rapahoe

  • Been invited by Development West Coast to apply for funding

  • Established appropriate and compliant corporate financial and governance standards and reporting

  • Continuing strong local community, iwi, local and central government support

Mineral Separation Plant (MSP) Resource Consents

The Grey District Council (GDC) has granted Tāiko’s Resource Consents Application for the construction of an MSP on land leased from Birchfield Coal Mines Limited at Rapahoe on the outskirts of Greymouth. The site is adjacent to State Highway 6 (SH6) and allows for direct trucking access from the Barrytown Mine Site, and Kiwi Rail’s feeder rail line onto the main Midland Line. This will give direct rail access to east coast export ports of Lyttleton and Timaru.

Fast-Track Approvals Bill Resource Consents Application

Applications under the Government’s Fast-Track Approvals Bill opened on 7 February 2025. TiGa is finalising its application and has completed most of the technical reports required. We’re actively engaging with various agencies, councils, local iwi and the wider community to ensure their perspectives are included in the application.

The application covers the total southern area of TiGa’s Mineral Lease from Canoe Creek to Fagans Creek and connects the already consented Coates South area. If granted this will provide an additional 20-year extension of mine life extension for the Barrytown Minerals Project.

Drilling Campaign

Tāiko has completed a test drilling campaign to provide additional mineral resource information to support the extended mine life required for the planned feasibility study. The drilling also enabled metallurgical test-work to be carried out to demonstrate that there is an extensive mineral resource consistent the project’s entire length.

Feasibility Study

Work continues on the various inputs for the financial model that provides the economic data for the feasibility study, and the economic criteria to enable the mineral resource to be converted to an ore reserve status.

A recent survey of the global market for the Barrytown Minerals Project ilmenite and garnet products shows continued growing demand and increasing prices.

Employment and contracted services opportunities

Tāiko has received numerous inquiries about employment or the provision of contracted services.

Tāiko is collating these approaches and will respond to all expressions of interest as planning develops.

We encourage anyone seeking employment or offering services to file their expressions of interest to our public inquiries email.

The Barrytown Mineral Project will provide significant economic benefits for the Grey District and wider West Coast community. 

Employment, economic activity, local spending and exports will all increase significantly.

The approved mine and mineral separation plant (consent pending) mine will together generate an estimated $63 million per year and create 57 directly employed mining jobs and 80 support jobs elsewhere in the economy.

More people will be attracted to the area and young people will have more employment opportunities on the West Coast. TiGa has already had strong interest from New Zealanders working in mines overseas, wanting to return to New Zealand to work on the Barrytown Mineral Project.

Tāiko accepts and supports its environmental obligations.

We have provisions in place for the operation of the Barrytown Mineral Project to ensure that water, wildlife and the wider environment are protected and enhanced, and the land is fully restored to farming pasture.

We will: increase the area of native planting on the site and along bordering wetlands and waterways; remove pest weeds; and carry out pest control for introduced mammalian predators.

Tāiko will work with the West Coast community to ensure locals are involved in the resource consent process.

We asked the West Coast Regional Council and Grey District Council to publicly notify our resource consent application so anyone with an interest could have their say.

Tāiko has now set up a community liaison group to make sure community voices continue to be heard as we progress our plans toward mining, mineral separation and value-add export.

We also propose to create opportunities for local youth to study and gain employment.

“We’re committed to ensuring mana whenua and the West Coast community continue to have input into our ongoing operations, via the community liaison group we established.”

— Robert Brand, Tāiko Managing Director