Denniston mining proposal returns to fast-track consent process

Bathurst Resources Limited said Friday that it had resubmitted its mining application. In a statement to the Australian Stock Exchange, the company said the Environmental Protection Authority had identified two matters requiring attention before the application could pass the fast-track completeness check.

The company said the two matters concerned lizard management and consent from the local authority to carry out the activity on reserve land.

The company said its revised application addresses both matters. The EPA will now decide whether the resubmitted application is complete, according to the company's statement.

Bathurst Resources' Buller Plateaux Continuation Project proposes extending operations at the Stockton mine and mining at Denniston on the West Coast of the South Island.

The company said the project targets about 20 million tonnes of coking-quality coal for export. It said that amount would provide a mine life of approximately 25 years.