Insight for Sunday 28 March 2010

The pin-up Pike River coal mine on conservation land on the West Coast is claimed to be the model for future mining.

To minimise the environmental impact on the undeveloped Paparoa Ranges (pictured) a 2.3 kilometre access tunnel was built to reach the coal.

This is the kind of thing the Prime Minister, John Key, has in mind when he says modern mining techniques would minimise any impact on the conservation estate.

But is Pike River a one-off?

What would be the impact on high value conservation land if more mining was allowed?

Environmental issues reporter, Ian Telfer investigates the Government's proposal.

He asks what's underneath the land that could be mined and would it really threaten the $20 billion international tourism industry as environmentalists claim?

Schematic showing the Brunner and Paparoa Coal seams at the Pike River coal mine - claimed to be the model for future mining

Photo supplied by Pike River Mine