Bathurst Resources is closing its Malvern Hills coal mine:
A coal mine in rural Canterbury is set to close, despite owners applying for consent for expansion and increased coal extraction just last year.100,000 tons of coal means roughly 200,000 tons of emissions avoided every year. That's about a quarter of a percent of our total from this one facility - or about 10% of the cut we need to make to meet our 2025 budget. Which is a good start, and hopefully we'll see more. The question now is whether Fonterra will get the message, and stop burning coal at its dirty Darfield dairy factory, or whether it will try and cling to dirty, outdated technology.The 52-hectare Bathurst Resources mine is situated in the Malvern Hills, about 20 kilometres west of Darfield.
Acting chief executive Russell Middleton said on Wednesday the company had “regrettably” decided to close the mine, which had been extracting about 100,000 tonnes of low-sulphur coal a year, largely suppling local food processors near the site.
“We have been working towards economic solutions for keeping the mine open with Environment Canterbury, Selwyn District Council and our customers, but these have not been successful.”
