Resource consent applications have been publicly notified for Buller's proposed new coal mine, which is expected to employ about 200 people.L&M Coal is seeking 16 consents from the West Coast Regional Council and eight from the Buller District Council
Resource consent applications have been publicly notified for Buller's proposed new coal mine, which is expected to employ about 200 people.
L&M Coal is seeking 16 consents from the West Coast Regional Council and eight from the Buller District Council for the proposed $84 million open cast mine on the Denniston plateau, 13km east of Westport.
Submissions close on October 22.
L&M plans to build a coal preparation plant at the mine site and transport the coal via an 11km-long slurry pipeline to a coal handling facility at Fairdown, 800m below the Denniston plateau.
The preparation plant would separate the coal and add water to form a slurry. The coal handling plant would de-water the coal, treat the water, stockpile coal and load it to rail.
Mitigation proposals include treating acid mine drainage, monitoring and relocating some indigenous plants and animals, and restoring the disturbed landscape. Kiwi and giant powelliphanta snails live in the area.
Solid Energy spent millions catching and moving a similar species of giant snail from the nearby Stockton Plateau. However, survival rates of the relocated snails are worrying conservationists.
L&M has also been seeking an access agreement from the Department of Conservation since 2008. The project cannot proceed without it.
The mine site covers about 148ha on the southern edge of the Denniston Plateau, within the Mt Rochfort Conservation Area.
The consent application says the site contains about 6.1m tonnes of recoverable coal. It would be extracted at up to 1.5m tonnes a year, giving a mine life of just over five years.
However, L&M's joint venture partner, Bathurst Resources, said further drilling had found more coal.
Bathurst's executive general manager for engineering and construction, Gerry Cooper, said drilling had already confirmed about 47m tonnes of coal which could extend the mine life to about 30 years.
Further drilling was planned, he said.
Bathurst managing director Hamish Bohannan has previously told The News in Westport that production might eventually ramp up to 4m tonnes a year.
Mr Bohannan said Bathurst aimed to start mining towards the end of next year, depending on gaining resource consent. It planned to ship the coal through Westport port to New Plymouth for export from Port Taranaki.
Bathurst is in the process of buying L&M Coal, which holds exploration and mining permits for the area.
