A consent hearing for a massive new coal mine on the West Coast has been told the project will destroy nearly 200 hectares of a unique ecosystem.
Australian mining company Bathurst Resources is seeking approval to develop an open cast mine producing up to two million tonnes of coal per year.
Bathurst Resources plans to spend $65 million developing the mine on the Denniston Plateau in Buller.
It says the mine will be worth $200 million to the West Coast and create more than 400 jobs.
The West Coast Conservation Board says the site has been proposed as an outstanding landscape and should be protected.
The board told a hearing in Westport on Monday that a mine area of 200 hectares will be stripped to an average depth of 50 metres, destroying a rare ecosystem of flora and fauna.
A company is proposing to restore vegetation and relocate rare snails and kiwi.
The Conservation Board says even if re-vegetation succeeds, it will result in an entirely different landscape.
Spokesperson Stewart Robertson says a public submission process has judged the site as worthy of protection under the West Coast Conservation Management Strategy.
