The second of several live legal challenges against West Coast hard-coking mine developer Bathurst Resources has been set aside, this time from a High Court decision.
Bathurst managing director Hamish Bohannan yesterday said the High Court had refused to allow Forest and Bird to appeal four questions of law, to the Court of Appeal, over Sullivan mine consents, near the Denniston plateau on the West Coast.
''This is another significant step in working towards gaining full consents for our Escarpment project and ensuring we can move into the production phase as soon as possible,'' Mr Bohannan said in a statement.
Forest and Bird vowed about two years ago to challenge Bathurst through the courts on its plans to mine 3 million tonnes of specialist hard-coking coal from around the Denniston plateau, because of claims of its unique flora and fauna, which has delayed Bathurst from starting production by about 18 months.
Earlier this month an appeal period lapsed for Forest and Bird over an interim Environment Court decision.
Bathurst is awaiting a Supreme Court decision on whether climate change issues can be heard during consent hearings, and also a further Environment Court decision is due on resource consents.
• Last week resources lobby group Straterra announced it is taking over the work of the 32-year-old New Zealand Minerals Industry Association (NZMIA) with the two organisations merging into one.
NZMIA was established in 1981, originally the New Zealand Mineral Exploration Association, while Straterra was launched in 2008, prompting resource sector questions on the need for two agencies delivering similar messages.
Straterra's membership represents 90% of the country's mineral production, including a large share of exploration, but not representing, oil, gas and geothermal interests.
Straterra chief executive Chris Baker said the merger was an important step to consolidating the mineral industry sector into one voice to achieve more effective representation.
The agencies agreed Straterra, with about 60 members, would take over the work and membership of the NZMIA, with NZMIA being dissolved.
