Detailed answers to common questions about the proposal to expand coal mining on the Denniston Plateau.
Ecological Values: A Unique National Treasure
Q: What's so special about the Denniston Plateau? Why is it worth protecting?
A: The Denniston Plateau is a national treasure, rated by DOC’s own scientists as one of the top 50 most ecologically valuable sites on mainland New Zealand. It is a unique ‘lost world’ ecosystem featuring high-altitude sandstone pavement landscapes that create a complex mosaic of wetlands and scant soils. Its harsh, wet, and windy climate has created a unique environment where plant life is often dwarfed and ancient, while many invertebrates have evolved to be giants. This climate has also kept introduced predator numbers low, allowing vulnerable native species to thrive, making it almost as precious as an offshore island sanctuary.
As ecologist Rod Morris noted, Denniston has "unique ecological patterns... that are not repeated elsewhere". With so much of the original ecosystem destroyed at Stockton, the Denniston Plateau is now the last largest, relatively unmodified example left. It represents our last chance to protect this type of ecosystem in its entirety. This is affirmed by the Commissioners reviewing an earlier application for mining on the plateau who admitted to experiencing “considerable reservations and anguish”.
“From the evidence presented to us, it is abundantly clear that large-scale mining is poised to invade the entire Denniston Plateau coal reserves, which, if unchecked, will totally destroy the ecosystems which are present.”
Q: What specific types of rare plants and animals are found there?
A: Denniston is a biodiversity hotspot, home to an extraordinary range of life:
Unique Invertebrates: It is a land of giant invertebrates, including giant autumn-emerging Aoraia moths, the Avatar Moth found only on the Denniston Plateau, the giant West Coast tree wētā (which is unusually common here), and more than 30 recorded native earthworm species. It is also home to three species of Peripatus, or 'velvet worm' – a "living fossil" far older than tuatara.
Unique Reptiles: The plateau has a nationally significant population of geckos. This includes the West Coast green gecko and, remarkably, a unique "striped" form of the forest gecko that has never been encountered anywhere else in New Zealand, demonstrating that Denniston is a site of active, localised evolution. It is also home to the poorly understood Denniston skink.
Iconic Fauna: It provides critical habitat for roroa great spotted kiwi and a distinct population of the endangered carnivorous land snail (Powelliphanta patrickensis). Freshwater streams, while low in fish, are rich with kōura (freshwater crayfish).
Ancient Flora: The harsh environment encourages plants to "hunker down". This results in ancient, bonsai-like "dwarf forests" where southern rata and pygmy pines may be hundreds of years old but only ankle-high. The plateau is also home to vulnerable plants like the eyebright (Euphrasia wettsteiniana) and exceptionally rare mosses and liverworts found on distinctive "bryophyte stalactites" along stream banks.
Q: Does mining really destroy everything? Can't the animals just move away?
A: Open-cast mining is total ecosystem destruction. To access the coal seam, many meters below the surface, mining removes not just the plants on the surface, but the entire soil structure, rock crevices, and wetlands that form the habitat. The specialised invertebrates (like snails, velvet worms, wētā, and earthworms) that live in the thin soils and rock crevices have nowhere to go and are destroyed along with their habitat. This in turn removes the food source for larger animals like kiwi and lizards. You cannot move an entire, complex food web that has taken millions of years to develop.
Q: You mention undescribed species. Isn't it possible they exist elsewhere? Why protect something we don't even have a name for?
A: The fact that we are still discovering new and undescribed species on Denniston is precisely why it must be protected. The unique striped gecko, an undescribed giant harvestman, and a fungus found on a wētā that may have scientific uses are all examples of this. At nearby Stockton, an undescribed giant flatworm was photographed once within the mine footprint and has never been found again. Destroying these habitats means we could be losing unique species and potential scientific discoveries – such as new medicines or biological compounds – before we even know they exist. Protecting Denniston is like protecting a library full of books we haven't even had the chance to read yet.
Q: Denniston has a rich mining history. Why protect a place that's already been mined?
A: The historical mining that gives Denniston its heritage was almost entirely underground mining and had a very small-scale surface impact compared with what is planned. Miners tunnelled beneath the surface to extract coal, which meant that most of the unique surface ecosystem was left largely intact and unmodified. That is precisely why these incredible ecological values still exist today for us to protect. In complete contrast, Bathurst's proposal is for modern open-cast (or strip) mining. This is a totally different method that involves completely removing everything from the surface – plants, soil, and rock – to create massive open pits. It is landscape-scale destruction. The historic mining worked under the ecosystem; the proposed mining will obliterate it.
Acid Mine Drainage (AMD): A Toxic Legacy
Q: What exactly is Acid Mine Drainage (AMD) and why is it so damaging?
A: Acid Mine Drainage is one of the most serious and persistent forms of pollution from mining. When open-cast mining removes topsoil and rock, it exposes sulphide-bearing minerals to air and water. This creates a chemical reaction that produces sulphuric acid. This acidic water then pulls heavy metals like iron, aluminium, and manganese from the rock. This toxic, acidic, metal-laden water flows into streams and rivers, poisoning them, killing aquatic life like fish and invertebrates, and making the water unsuitable for use for decades or even centuries after the mine has closed.
Q: Why is preventing AMD so difficult on the Denniston Plateau?
A: The geology of the Denniston and Stockton plateaux is naturally high in sulphide-bearing minerals, making it highly prone to generating AMD. The extremely high rainfall on the West Coast exacerbates the problem, constantly flushing water through the disturbed rock and creating more contaminated runoff. Once the rock is exposed on such a large scale, stopping this chemical reaction is almost impossible.
Q: What is the scale of the existing AMD problem at the nearby Stockton mine?
A: The pollution at Stockton is a national-scale environmental problem. The New Zealand government (and therefore, the taxpayer) is liable for managing this pollution out to the year 2100, at a current cost of around $3 million every single year. In some years, the cost to treat part of the Stockton pollution has been more than the total royalties the government receives from all coal mining across the entire country. Approving a new mine on Denniston knowingly creates another one of these long-term toxic liabilities.
Fast Track and Stewardship Land
Q: Why is the Fast-Track process so bad for this project?
A: The Fast-Track process is wholly inappropriate for a project with such significant and irreversible environmental impacts. It is designed to sideline proper scrutiny, limit expert input, and exclude the public from having a say on what happens to public conservation land. A project that threatens to destroy a national treasure, pollute waterways for centuries, and undermine our climate goals should face more scrutiny, not less.
Q: What does it mean that this is "stewardship land"?
A: "Stewardship land" is Public Conservation Land that was allocated to the Department of Conservation in 1987. Much of this land, including the Denniston Plateau, was specifically set aside with the understanding that its high conservation values would be protected from extractive industries like mining. It is not "wasteland" awaiting development. It is land held in trust for all New Zealanders, whose significant ecological values require proper assessment and permanent protection. When Forest & Bird looked at the Denniston plateau in detail as part of a review of Stewardship land, the scientific values were so significant that we felt it should be reclassified as scientific reserve and protected from mining.
Coal, Climate & Steel
Q: We import coal from Indonesia to burn at Huntly Power Station. Isn't it better to mine our own coal on Denniston instead?
A: This is a misleading argument, as it compares two different types of coal for two different purposes. The coal on the Denniston Plateau is bituminous coking coal, which is exported for use in steelmaking. Huntly Power Station uses lower-grade sub-bituminous thermal coal, which is primarily sourced from mines in the Waikato. Mining Denniston will not reduce our need for imported thermal coal during dry years, because it's the wrong type of coal and is destined for export markets anyway. The Denniston proposal is about destroying a unique ecosystem for export profit – it has no bearing on New Zealand's domestic electricity supply.
Q: What is the climate impact of mining on Denniston?
A: The climate impact is enormous. The proposal is to mine 20 million tonnes of coal. When this coal is burned overseas, it will release approximately 50 million tonnes of CO2 into the atmosphere. To put that in perspective, that is roughly equivalent to New Zealand's entire national emissions from every car, farm, and factory for one year. Because this coal is exported, these emissions don't count towards New Zealand's official climate targets. In effect, we are enabling massive climate pollution offshore while pretending our hands are clean. This fundamentally undermines our credibility as a nation committed to fighting climate change.
Q: What is the International Energy Agency's position on new coal mines?
A: In its landmark 2021 report, "Net Zero by 2050: A Roadmap for the Global Energy Sector," the International Energy Agency (IEA) stated unequivocally that for the world to reach net-zero emissions by 2050 and have a chance of limiting global warming to 1.5°C, there can’t be investment in any new fossil fuel supply projects. This explicitly includes no new coal mines or extensions of existing ones. Approving a new 25-year coal mine on the Denniston Plateau is in direct contradiction to this expert global advice.
Q: How is steelmaking technology changing? Do we still need coking coal?
A: The global steel industry is already beginning to transition away from traditional coal-fired blast furnaces. Two key trends are reducing the long-term demand for coking coal:
Green steel production: Projects like the Swedish HYBRIT initiative are developing processes to create fossil-free steel using hydrogen instead of coal, with a commercial solution aimed for 2035.
Increased recycling: Steel is almost completely recyclable, yet recycled steel only accounts for about 30% of global production. There is huge potential to increase this. NZ Steel’s own new electric arc furnace at Glenbrook is designed to process scrap steel, reducing the need for raw materials. Investing in a 25-year coking coal mine is a backward step, locking us into an old, polluting technology just as the world is innovating towards cleaner solutions.
Q: We all use steel, so how can you oppose mining coking coal?
A: This mine is not necessary for global steel production. New Zealand's contribution to the global market is tiny – less than 0.5%. Stopping this mine will have zero impact on steel supply but will save a priceless ecosystem. As technology changes, New Zealand should be supporting the transition to green steel, not locking in another 25 years of destructive coal extraction.
The West Coast Economy: Myths and Realities
Q: What about jobs on the West Coast? Doesn't mining provide essential employment?
A: While mining provides some jobs, it offers a precarious future based on a boom-and-bust industry vulnerable to volatile global prices. We saw this when Bathurst mothballed its original Escarpment mine in 2016, causing job losses after promising employment. Bathurst has also acknowledged challenges in recruiting for specialised roles locally, often relying on workers from outside the region or overseas. Despite a long history of mining, the Buller district still faces the highest level of socio-economic deprivation on the West Coast, indicating the wealth generated often does not stay in the community.
Q: Are the promised job numbers secure for the long term?
A: This is a significant risk. The global mining industry is rapidly moving towards automation with technology like self-driving trucks and remote operations to increase efficiency. Over a 25-year timeframe, it is highly likely that many of the jobs currently done by people could be automated, making the long-term socio-economic contribution from wages highly uncertain. This reinforces the "boom-and-bust" nature of mining employment, where the region could be left with permanent environmental destruction in exchange for jobs that may not even exist for the full life of the mine. Coal mining is a sunset industry – decarbonisation is accelerating and any jobs that are created will be short-lived. Rather than invest in jobs that won’t exist in the near future, effort would be better put into supporting the West Coast to transition to alternative industries.
Q: What are the real economic alternatives to coal mining for the West Coast?
A: The West Coast’s future lies in its unique natural environment, not in destroying it. Real alternatives include investing in nature and conservation, which creates skilled jobs in pest control, restoration, and track maintenance. Mining currently accounts for only about 8% of the West Coast's GDP, less than both agriculture and tourism.
Bathurst Resources: Ownership & Structure
Q: Who owns Bathurst Resources?
A: Bathurst Resources Ltd is listed on the Australian Stock Exchange (ASX). While registered in New Zealand, a majority of its shareholders (over 75%) are based overseas. The largest single New Zealand shareholder is Talley's Group, with about 10.8%. This means that while the environmental and social costs of their operations are borne by New Zealanders, most of the profits flow offshore.
Q: What is BT Mining?
A: BT Mining is a joint venture company formed in 2016 between Bathurst (65% share) and Talleys Energy Ltd (35% share), a subsidiary of the Talley's Group. This venture was set up to purchase the prime assets (Stockton, Rotowaro, Maramarua mines) from the collapsed state-owned enterprise, Solid Energy.
Q: Is Bathurst a stable company? Are their plans for Denniston financially secure?
A: Bathurst's financial history is marked by significant volatility. The company operated at a loss for many years, nearly collapsed around 2014-2015 due to falling coal prices, and only became consistently profitable after acquiring the Solid Energy assets with Talley's. Their profitability is highly dependent on volatile global coking coal prices, which have fluctuated wildly from US116/tonne to US374/tonne in recent years and are predicted to trend downwards long-term. In their own presentations to investors, Bathurst outlines key risks including fluctuating coal prices and the unpredictable global demand for steel. This reliance on a volatile market makes any long-term economic promises for a 25-year project on Denniston highly uncertain.
Q: Is Bathurst facing any legal challenges that could affect its operations?
A: Yes, the company has a history of – and is currently involved in – significant legal disputes.
L&M Holdings: Bathurst was locked in a decade-long legal battle over a US$40 million payment related to the original purchase of the Escarpment mine rights, a case that went to the Supreme Court.
Talley's Group Ltd: In December 2024, Talley's – Bathurst's own partner in BT Mining –filed a significant claim against Bathurst in the High Court, alleging misleading representations. Bathurst has filed a defence and counterclaims. This signals a serious dispute between the key partners who control the majority of NZ coal production.
Canterbury Mine: Bathurst is still dealing with the fallout from its closed Canterbury mine, having been rejected for 10 cleanup-related consent applications in 2022 due to a history of non-compliance and unauthorised activities. These legal issues indicate a pattern of operational and contractual conflict.
Q: Is Bathurst committed to New Zealand for the long term?
A: The company's own strategy suggests a significant pivot away from New Zealand. While pursuing the Denniston expansion, Bathurst is also heavily investing in two major coking coal projects in British Columbia, Canada (Crown Mountain and Tenas). Their investor presentations predict that by 2029, more than 50% of the company's coal production will come from these Canadian mines. This raises serious questions about their long-term commitment to New Zealand and suggests they are treating New Zealand assets as a source of cash to fund their offshore growth, while leaving New Zealand with the long-term environmental liabilities.
What can you do
The unique wildlife and landscapes of the Denniston Plateau are too precious to sacrifice for coal. The Government must reject this fast-tracked mine expansion and ensure Denniston is protected for future generations.
- Send a letter: Join us in asking all political parties to keep conservation land safe for future generations.
- Donate to protect Aotearoa New Zealand's wild places.
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