The primary goal of the project is to secure authorisations through the Fast-track Approvals Act 2024 to continue mining the coal resources across the Denniston Plateau and Stockton Plateau, collectively called the Buller Plateaux. This project will facilitate the extraction of approximately 20 million tonnes of coking coal for the international export market.

The project operates on a 25-year timeframe, which includes approximately 18 years of active mining followed by a seven-year period dedicated to final closure and rehabilitation. Mining will continue as a 24-hour, seven-day-a-week operation using conventional methods: drill and blast, load and haul, and open-pit mining. The coal from this region is highly prized by global steelmakers due to its low ash content and high fluidity.

The project is integrated across five distinct sub-areas. Each area has a specific scope of work as outlined below:

• Stockton (including the Ngākawau Rail Loadout and Aerial Ropeway): This area involves finishing the mining of existing pits and remaining resources. It also includes completing site-wide rehabilitation and using existing infrastructure until the site is eventually decommissioned.
• Upper Waimangaroa Haul Road (UWHR): This is a critical transport link connecting the Stockton mine with the new Mount Frederick South and Escarpment Extended sites. This private road allows coal to be moved to Stockton for processing without using the public road network. It involves upgrading existing tracks and building a new section through the Upper Waimangaroa Valley.
• Mount Frederick South (MFS): A new open-pit mining area. It will begin by mining through
  historical underground workings and then extend into previously unmined areas. All coal from this site will move to Stockton via the UWHR.
• Escarpment Extended (ESE): This area includes an existing open pit, older underground
  workings, and a new extension into unworked areas. It also includes the Waimangaroa storage yard, which serves as a laydown area at the base of Denniston Road.
• Cypress: This is an existing operating site. The project’s involvement here is limited to renewing wildlife authorities and updating environment compensation to align the rest of the project.

The Buller Coal Plateaux Continuation Project delivers material benefits precisely because it continues an established operation rather than starting from a greenfield position. Economically, it would support over 390 direct jobs in Buller and around 50 more elsewhere, with the workforce overwhelmingly local — 96% living within the district and 84% in Westport and surrounding settlements. Wages contributed approximately $40 million to the West Coast economy in FY25, while more than 125 local businesses received around $75 million in mining-related annual expenditure, sustaining trades, suppliers, schools and community organisations. 

Operationally, continuation means the project can draw on mature environmental management systems, established regulatory relationships and proven monitoring and reporting disciplines, rather than building these from first principles — supporting disciplined implementation of consent conditions and progressive rehabilitation. Strategically, the project provides continued access to approximately 20 million tonnes of high-quality metallurgical coal, a specialist input to international steelmaking supply chains. Together, these factors support regional stability, population retention and household security in a district where employment opportunities can be limited, while providing a longer-term planning horizon for workers, businesses and the wider community.