Forest & Bird has launched a petition calling on Conservation Minister Tama Potaka to reclassify the Denniston Plateau as a scientific reserve – a move that would permanently safeguard this ecological taonga from mining.
“Denniston is a living laboratory of scientific wonder, a place where new species are still being discovered,” says Scott Burnett, Forest & Bird regional conservation manager.
“It meets all criteria for scientific reserve status. This place is simply too remarkable, too special, too precious to mine.”
A 15-minute documentary Save Denniston: Stand up for Nature premiered in Parliament’s Grand Hall this week in front of a packed audience of invited guests.
With stunning aerial images of the Denniston wilderness, it shows the scale of open-cast coal mining proposed by Bathurst and how it would devastate the Plateau’s unique plants and animals.
The standing-room only Save Denniston parliamentary event was attended by MPs from the Green Party, Labour, National, and New Zealand First, as well as other invited guests.
Also present was acclaimed historical novelist Jenny Pattrick OBE, whose first novel The Denniston Rose (2003) and its sequel Heart of Coal (2004) became two of New Zealand's best-selling novels.
Mrs Pattrick is backing the public campaign to Save Denniston and Forest & Bird’s call to turn this unique ecological mainland island into a scientific reserve.
“I didn’t realise that Bathurst was wanting to mine such a huge area, an immense part of the Denniston Plateau, which is so special and unusual,” she says.
“I’m for conservation. The Save Denniston documentary shows how unique this place is and how devastating open-cast mining would be.
“What is happening now is lazy thinking. They just want to rip out the coal. Clever thinking would be a scientific reserve, where we study what has happened there and learn about the plateau’s animals and plants, and celebrate its history. I would love to see that.”
Coal mining company Bathurst Resources is expected to put in a fast-track application next month for a massive expansion of mining in the area. This would take out 20 million tonnes of coal for up to 25 years.
Forest & Bird says the proposal, which could be approved without public consultation or environmental safeguards, will leave taxpayers having to pick up the tab for toxic acid mine drainage and habitat restoration over a huge area.
“The proposed Buller Coal Plateau Continuation Project will produce coking coal for export and contributes nothing towards Aotearoa New Zealand’s energy security,” adds Mr Burnett.
“It also fails the climate test, by producing roughly an entire year of New Zealand’s climate emissions.”
Conservation experts say it would be impossible to restore the Denniston Plateau after it’s been mined.
The harsh climate keeps predator numbers low, making it a truly special natural mainland island sanctuary for endemic species such as West Coast green gecko, Avatar moths, roroa great spotted kiwi, and Powelliphanta carnivorous land snails.
“This is an ancient landscape with a mosaic of rare native habitats, including elevated wetlands, snow tussocks, and dwarf forests.”
“No one can restore a Gondwana-era sandstone pavement or replace a 400-year-old pygmy pine. Once Denniston is gone, it’s gone forever,” explains Mr Burnett.
Forest & Bird’s petition urges Minister Potaka to protect Denniston by gazetting the area as a scientific reserve, permanently safeguarding it from mining and development.
Notes:
- The 15-minute film Save Denniston: Stand up for Nature is available to view.
- The petition is online at: https://www.forestandbird.org.nz/petitions/make-denniston-scientific-reserve.
- Forest & Bird’s submission on the West Coast stewardship land review (available at the bottom of this page) said that Denniston should be included in a new Mt Rochfort Scientific Reserve.
- Scientific reserves were created under the Reserves Act 1977 to protect areas of exceptional scientific and ecological value. Access and activities are carefully controlled to preserve natural features for research, education, and conservation.