AELERT regulators collaborate on minerals regulation from the Cook Islands to South Australia
Cook Islands Seabed Minerals Authority (SBMA) Senior Policy and Legal Officer Te-Ara Henderson has just completed a 11-week secondment with the South Australian Department for Energy & Mining (DEM).
Since 2021, Te-Ara has been actively engaged in the Cook Islands’ Deep Seabed Minerals (DSM) sector, playing a key role in establishing the nation’s DSM regulatory framework from the ground up.
The Cook Islands has a high-value and largely untapped deep sea mineral resource called polymetallic manganese nodules (Nodules). Nodules are located 4,500m deep on the seabed of its exclusive economic zone, which spans almost 2 million square kilometres of ocean. The SBMA is responsible for managing this resource in the best interests of the Cook Islands and its people.
“My most valuable part of this secondment experience was immersing myself in a well-established regulatory environment and network,” Ta-Ara said, “I had the opportunity to forge meaningful relationships with like-minded regulators, integrate into their regulatory practices, and gain insights into historical challenges and the strategies employed to overcome them.”
The SBMA reached out to AELERT member agency DEM in early 2024 to connect and collaborate to better address this new and emerging complex regulatory landscape now and into the future.
Latishia Maui-Mataora, Director of Policy and Regulatory Oversight, Cook Islands Seabed Minerals Authority, explains “this secondment has been a long time in the making – the result of two years of developing a relationship and establishing a shared understanding.”
“We are incredibly proud of what has been achieved. Te-Ara has represented the Cook Islands with professionalism and dedication, and we are already seeing the benefits of this collaboration. This is just the beginning, and we’re excited to see where this partnership takes us next.”
In the meantime, SBMA also become a member of the AELERT network allowing them to engage with regulators across Australia and New Zealand through various community of practice network groups, plus access other services such as the networks’ resources library, events and trainings, and exclusive products such as MRIT and ROCSAT.
“This secondment and knowledge exchange is a great example of the AELERT network doing what it does best,” says Paul De Ionno, Director Minerals Regulation, Department for Energy and Mining and member of the AELERT National Council.
“AELERT promotes innovative thinking and conversations about emerging regulatory challenges, building our collective capability and ultimately fostering world-class regulatory practice for its members. DEM is excited to be part of this partnership and looks forward to seeing it grow in the future.”
AELERT is currently in development of a program framework to facilitate secondment and job-swapping opportunities between member agencies. If you or your agency would like to get involved, contact the AELERT Leadership Team for next steps.
The AELERT network is uniquely run by regulators, for regulators and is committed to providing opportunities for regulatory agencies and practitioners to share knowledge, approaches, and make space for innovation across agencies and jurisdictions. For more information about the network and membership visit the AELERT website.
