Landmark court decision could protect reserves from mining

Forest and Bird says a landmark court decision should mean reserve land is protected from mining in the future. The group has won an appeal against a proposed opencast coal mine on the West Coast. Stevenson Mining wants access to reserve land held by the Buller District Council for its new mine at Te Kuha. The company had succesfully argued in the High Court that the Council had to factor in economic benefits of the mine when considering whether to grant access. But Forest and Bird appealed this saying the council had to take account of the reserve land's environmental values. It's lawyer, Peter Anderson, told Kate Gudsell the win means councils will have to protect the natural and biological features of reserves in future.