Rejected Denniston Plateau mining application back in fast-track process

A proposal to mine Denniston Plateau that was previously rejected as incomplete is back in the fast-track consent process.In a statement to the Australian Stock Exchange, Bathurst Resources Limited said on Friday it had resubmitted its application, after the Environmental Protection Authority identified two matters that needed addressing before it could pass the fast-track completeness check.Those matters related to lizard management and local authority consent to undertake the activity on reserve land, the company said."The resubmitted application addresses both matters, and the EPA will now determine whether the resubmitted application is complete."Bathurst Resources' Buller Plateaux Continuation Project proposes extending operations at its Stockton mine as well as mining at Denniston on the South Island's West Coast."The project targets approximately 20 million tonnes of coking-quality coal for export, which would provide a mine life of approximately 25 years," the company said.350 Aotearoa campaigner Adam Currie said the application hinges on the election as it could face a new government less supportive of "coal mines on kiwi habitat".