Protesters at the mothballed Escarpment Mine say they won't quit until Bathurst pulls out of the area. Photo: Fox Meyer
A proposal to expand mining operations on the Denniston Plateau pits the economy against ecology, leaving the Government facing a high-stakes decision.
A proposal to extend mining on the Denniston Plateau has triggered a flashpoint on the West Coast, with conservation groups taking on the company behind the plan.
More than 12,400 people have now signed a petition to protect the Denniston Plateau, stating that the conservation land should be reserved for native species, not for fast-tracked coal mines.
"Denniston hosts unique ecological associations which, if destroyed, cannot be recreated," reads the Forest and Bird petition, which passed the "milestone" number of 10,000 last week.
"Denniston is rated by Department of Conservation scientists as one of the top 50 most ecologically valuable sites in Aotearoa. This public conservation land should be permanently protected for nature - not destroyed by a massive coal mining expansion.
"A proposed large-scale opencast coal mining expansion would dig up an area equivalent to 1700 rugby fields, completely destroying the ecosystems which are present.
"This project is a financially reckless gamble betting on a dying industry. There is a high risk of it becoming a worthless stranded asset while leaving New Zealand taxpayers to pay the multi-million dollar bill for the inevitable environmental cleanup."
A Forest and Bird petition has amassed over 12,000 signatures, with many opposing the proposed large-scale opencast coal mining expansion on the Denniston Plateau Photo: Fox Meyer
Mining company Bathurst Resources wants to expand operations, extracting more high-grade coal to export for steel production.
Supporters say it would secure hundreds of jobs and provide a crucial economic lifeline for the region, which has long relied on mining wages and royalties.
Bathurst currently employs 317 people, another 72 full-time contractors, and pays salaries and wages of $27.8 million.
The project has been approved for application under the Government's fast-track legislation, meaning ministers could sign it off with fewer opportunities for public challenge.
But to date, Bathurst hasn't applied.
The delay has surprised Newsroom's political reporter Fox Meyer, who has covered the story for more than a year, and he tells The Detail, it's changed his thoughts on whether the proposal process and consent will be a smooth transaction.
"This project is a financially reckless gamble betting on a dying industry. Photo: Fox Meyer
"If you had asked me that when the fast track became law, I would have guessed that it would have been a relatively quick approval for the project with some protest action on the side," he says.
"What I have been surprised to see is that they haven't even applied yet, this has taken longer, the protest action has been more dramatic than I thought it would be, and the decisions that the fast-track panels have been making have not been complete environmental overrides.
"They have worked within the confines of that Act, in a way that seems to be, to me, pretty reasonable, which is good, that's a good thing to see.
"What I can tell you is it won't be smooth sailing, there's no way. How contentious this is already, is going to continue."
Bathurst Resources wants to keep mining coal on the West Coast for another 25 years and is proposing to extend its mining operations via the continuation of existing consents and securing new mining areas.
Environmental organisations say the proposal threatens one of New Zealand's most distinctive landscapes. The plateau is home to rare wetlands, unique plant species, and threatened birdlife, including great spotted kiwi and fernbirds.
And they argue that once these habitats are disturbed, they cannot be meaningfully restored and warn that the project is incompatible with New Zealand's climate commitments because the coal would be burned overseas.
"The coal in this area is going to be a target for someone, always, no matter what," says Meyer. "The legislation of the day may make it easier or harder to get to, but this issue will keep burning for as long as we are burning coal."
Ministers are expected to decide in the coming months. For the West Coast, the outcome represents more than a single project - it could shape the region's economic direction for decades and decide the fate of one of its most fragile and contested landscapes.
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