26 Aug 2013

Commissioners hear case for new coalmine

8:51 am on 26 August 2013

A three-week hearing to determine whether Fonterra can establish a new coalmine begins on Monday.

A subsidiary company, Glencoal Energy, has applied for consents for a new open-cast mine between Mangatawhiri and Mangatangi, halfway between Auckland and Hamilton.

Fonterra already has a mine in Waikato but the mine is nearing the end of its working life and the dairy cooperative needs more coal to power its three Waikato processing plants.

It says it's cheaper to have its own mine than to buy coal from Solid Energy.

Fonterra describes the proposed mine as small, covering 30 hectares.

Independent commissioners are considering the consents on behalf of the Waikato regional and district councils.

The hearing is set down for three weeks.