A consent hearing for Bathurst Resources proposed coal mine in the Buller district on the West Coast has been postponed. The hearing will be resumed later before the final addresses and the hearing closes. At present, Bathurst is in a three-week resource consent hearing process.

The Bathurst has planned to spend 65 million for developing the mine, which is expected to create 250 new jobs. It will produce up to two million tons of export coal per year. The Bathurst Resources will be developing the coal exports from the Denniston Plateau in association with Solid Energy. Both the companies involved in the plan will rely on different port export facilities.

The Solid Energy is based in Christchurch and already owns coking coal resources on the West Coast plateau. In partnership with Bathurst Resources, the company will work on the transport options for coal.

Bathurst Managing Director, Hamish Bohannan has revealed that as per the agreement Solid Energy signed this week, it has planned to transport up to 25% of Bathurst subsidiary Buller Coal Ltd annual coal production to Lyttelton by rail. The remaining 75% of the BCL's coal will be shipped through the port of Westport, Bohannan.