Mine appeal dropped but fight goes on

Forest and Bird has ditched plans for an expensive Environment Court appeal against the West Coast Regional Council's decision to grant resource consents for a coalmine on conservation land.

But spokeswoman Eugenie Sage said the society would continue to fight the proposed Pike River export coal mine next to Paparoa National Park.

She called on Minister of Conservation Chris Carter to reject the "disastrous" proposal.

"The resource consents are nothing without an access agreement from the Minister of Conservation ... Forest and Bird hopes the minister will show more care for an outstanding natural area than the councils have."

Independent analysis for the Department of Conservation had shown there was a risk of major environmental damage, she said.

"This damage includes a high risk of subsidence and land movement from underground mining over more than 300ha on the crest of the Paparoa Range and in the steep headwaters of Pike Stream, and water pollution problems from acid mine drainage."

The Pike River Coal Company (75 per cent owned by NZ Oil and Gas) wants to mine 10 million tonnes from conservation land outside the national park and extend operations to under the park in five years.

The company's claims that the proposal was "low impact" were wrong, Ms Sage said.

"This mine will ruin a river that is used by endangered whio/blue duck."

The regional council had a statutory responsibility to protect water pollution issues, but in this instance it had "passed the buck to DoC".

"The council is well aware of the devastating pollution and acid mine drainage problems which mining has caused in tens of kilometres of West Coast streams.

"Yet it has presented no technical evidence on water management at the resource consent hearings."

- NZPA