Bathurst plans to oppose Forest and Bird Court of Appeal application on Sullivan decision

Bathurst Resources intends to oppose an application to the Court of Appeal by the Royal Forest & Bird Protection Society of New Zealand for special leave to appeal a decision related to Bathurst’s plan to mine for coal on the South Island’s West Coast.

In June, the High Court rejected Forest & Bird’s application for leave to appeal a decision related to an area known as the Sullivan Block, which might one day be developed as a mine. The society has now applied to the Court of Appeal for special leave to appeal the Sullivan decision, Bathurst said in a statement.

“Bathurst intends to oppose the application and will request an urgent hearing in the Court of Appeal,” the miner said.

Forest & Bird has mounted a string of appeals against the resource consents granted to Bathurst in August 2011 by the Buller District Council and West Coast Regional Council. The society has argued that the Sullivan Block’s potential to be developed as a mine meant its environmental impact should be taken into account alongside Bathurst’s intention to develop its Escarpment mine project.

Escarpment is one of several open cast mines planned for the Buller Plateau by Bathurst to extract some of the best quality coking coal available globally for use in steel production.

Shares in Bathurst last traded at 21 cents, and have gained 11 percent this year.