The mining company Bathurst Resources has lodged its fast track application for approval to expand its coal mining operations on the West Coast.It wanted to extend its Stockton mine near Westport and extract 20-million tonnes of coal from the Denniston and Stockton Plateaux over the next 25 years.Stockton was the largest opencast mine in the country and produced steel making coal for export.Bathurst's coal mining licences for the area expired at the end of March 2027.In its application it said there was no guarantee new consents would be granted under the usual process and even if they were permission might not be given in time to avoid all operations coming to a stop in March.The company employed 390 people in the Buller area.It said consenting coal mines was now highly contentious, attracting significant opposition and leading to many rounds of court cases.Forest and Bird was opposed to expanding mining across the Denniston Plateau arguing much of the area was vital conservation land which was home to great spotted kiwi, giant snails and unique lizards.In 2025, dozens of protesters camped on the Plateau and attempted to shut down part of the mining operations.They said they managed to stall at least two days of extraction and would continue to fight against the Fast Track legislation.