The orcs lose again

The orcs in the mining industry have just been handed two defeats in a row in their battle to despoil our environment. Their idea was to rip the top off a mountain on the West Coast to dig an open cast coal mine. But most of the land they want to use is a reserve, and the rest is managed by the Department of Conservation. Two weeks ago, the High Court upheld Conservation Minister Eugenie Sage's refusal to allow them to despoil conservation land. And yesterday, the Supreme Court backed the Court of Appeal's ruling that reserves are not for mining. Meaning that the Buller District Council must manage the land to protect its scenic, biological and natural features. Which should absolutely forbid digging it up and turning it into a giant hole in the ground.

Faced with a ruling like this, you'd think the orcs would slink away and give up. But weirdly, they have announced their intention to ask the Buller District Council for access again. I guess when your business model depends on digging holes in the ground, you have a hard time understanding when people say it can't and won't happen.