Last August, Bathurst was granted resource consents for Escarpment, prompting West Coast ENT, the Fairdown-Whareatea Residents Association and the Royal Forest and Bird Protection Society of New Zealand to appeal the decision on the grounds of the mine’s environmental impacts.

Bathurst has progressed mediation discussions with the Fairdown-Whareatea Residents Association, which is opposing the location of the stockpiles and associated infrastructure for the proposed Escarpment mine.

Meanwhile, the other two groups are opposing the mine on the grounds that the coal produced will contribute to climate change.

Bathurst is appealing the climate change claim on the grounds that New Zealand already has a carbon tax scheme in place.

The court will hear the declaration as to the relevance of the effects of the use of coal on climate change on March 27 in Christchurch.

The Escarpment project is situated on the Denniston Plateau in New Zealand’s South Island and could produce up to 2 million tonnes per annum of coal.

It will be the producer’s first underground coal mine.

Subject to approvals, Bathurst is anticipating the mine to be in production by the end of 2012.