Giant snails to remain protected by Wildlife Act

New Zealand's giant carnivorous snails are to remain protected under the Wildlife Act, the High Court has ruled.

Solid Energy went to the High Court about the issue after it spent $10 million relocating the endangered snails from its Stockton coal mine near Westport.

To move the snails it had to meet permit conditions under the Wildlife Act and the company felt the process should have been covered by the Resource Management Act consent its mining was under.

Justice Jill Mallon ruled the Wildlife Act still applied for dealing with issues such as the giant snails, The Dominion Post reported today.

Whether keeping the process under the Wildlife Act served any purpose "or merely serves to impose unnecessary time and cost" was a question for Parliament, she said.

- NZPA