Appealing against mine

Forest & Bird is welcoming the Department of Conservation’s decision to join the appeal of a proposed coal mine on the West Coast.

In November 2017, the West Coast Regional Council and the Buller District Council granted resource consent for the 150-hectare Te Kuha coal mine project.

Rangitira Developments Ltd, which includes Stevenson Mining, holds the mining permit for the ridge on Mt Te Kuha, about 12 kilometres from Westport.

Forest & Bird announced in December that it would appeal the decision to the Environment Court.

The lobby group’s chief executive, Kevin Hague, said the Conservation Department would be able to bring in experts on the area’s special plants and animals, to inform the court.

‘‘The new government vowed to restore the Conservation Department’s statutory function to advocate for the environment.

‘‘Here is the evidence of that shift in direction,’’ Hague said.

‘‘But it’s a huge change for them to become party to the appeal because it means their experts can give evidence, significantly strengthening the evidence behind our case that the court needs to consider.’’

The open-cast coal mine will cover 144ha, including 12ha of conservation land, 100ha of the Westport Water Conservation Reserve and the remainder on private land.

Species known to exist in the mine’s total 884ha permit area include great spotted kiwi, New Zealand falcon, native skinks, moss, and the largest known population of the rare forest ringlet butterfly.

In the company’s application, Stevenson Mining chief operating officer Anne Brewster said the mine would create about 58 jobs.

The director-general of conservation, Lewis Sanson, submitted the department’s notice for the appeal on Monday, January 15.

‘‘I am particularly interested in adverse effects on the Te Kuha Mine site’s high ecological values including significant indigenous vegetation and significant habitat of indigenous fauna, intactness and ecological integrity and species of conservation concern,’’ he said.

A date for the appeal has not yet been set.

A spokeswoman for the Minister of Conservation, Eugenie Sage, said she would not comment on the mining project at this stage.