It comes amid an already tense period between the two parties as the Australian mining company’s proposed Central Otago goldmine continues through the fast-track process.
Peter Cook, an Australian geologist, was appointed as the company’ non-executive chairman in October 2023.
The comments in question were posted to professional networking platform LinkedIn.
Regarding debate about whether or not to keep Australia Day, Mr Cook instead referred to it as ‘‘Rescue Day’’.
‘‘Rescued from poverty, poor health, brutal tribal law, propelled into modernity, etc.
‘‘Time for some real truth telling!!’’
Underneath a post about the government of Western Australia’s 2023 refusal to confirm the abolition of cultural heritage laws, Mr Cook said the issue was not ‘‘physical heritage — everyone can see and deal with that’’.
‘‘It’s the mythological and spiritual part,’’ he said.
‘‘How can you define property rights over them. They are religious-type beliefs!’’
He also questioned the use of the term ‘‘First Nations’’ — used to describe Australia’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples — saying: ‘‘What First Nation? There never was a nation?’’
Mr Cook also called grocery giant Woolworths’ scrapping of Australia Day merchandise, in 2024 ‘‘a cop out’’.
A spokesperson for Kā Rūnaka — the four rūnanga collectively objecting to Santana’s proposed mine — said they were ‘‘disappointed’’ by the comments.
‘‘As iwi Māori, our aroha goes out to first nations whānauka who may have encountered these words and felt their weight.
‘‘Together, we share long histories of hurt, dispossession, and being spoken of in ways designed only to diminish.
‘‘That experience is one we know through our own history.’’
It was ‘‘crucially important’’ that Kā Rūnaka remained focused on the fast-track process, the spokesperson said.
‘‘We will continue to do so, and do all we can to ensure that the environment, the interests of mana whenua, and that our whenua, wai and taoka species are protected.’’
Santana Minerals chief executive Damian Spring said ‘‘engagement with Kā Rūnaka is ongoing through the established fast-track process and we remain focused on constructive, respectful dialogue’’.
In written submissions to the panel considering its fast-track application, Santana claimed Kā Rūnaka demanded a $180 million payout if the mine went ahead — an allegation Kā Rūnaka has denied, saying it was ‘‘shocked and deeply disappointed by the way our engagement has been characterised’’.
Kā Rūnaka has also argued Santana was in breach of the Treaty of Waitangi settlement requirements due to a lack of consultation.
The Otago Daily Times has previously reported on some of Mr Cook’s other public comments, including calling carbon dioxide ‘‘the gas of life’’ and arguing human-induced climate change "if it actually has had any material impact is unproved’’.
Such comments were labelled ‘‘standard climate change denialist tropes’’ by Victoria University professor of climate science James Renwick.
