westport upgrade complete. for now!

From Westports "The News"

Bathurst’s Westport
shed complete

By Kim Fulton and Lee Scanlon
Work on Bathurst Resource’s new shed on the
Westport wharf is now complete but the shed is
not yet being used.
Buller Port manager Trish Casey said there were
no plans as yet to use the coal storage facility.
“We await advice from Bathurst about when
they intend to begin coal shipments.”
Work on the $5 million, 30m by 80m shed,
began in July. It replaces an existing open storage
area and can hold about 9000 tonnes of coal.
Bathurst has also built two storage sheds, costing about $500,000, at Port Taranaki to house
incoming coal from Buller before it’s shipped
overseas.
The company has already sent some small trial
shipments of its Cascade Mine coal from Westport
to Asia, but is gearing up to ship over two million
tonnes a year if it receives the green light for its
Denniston Escarpment Mine project.
Bathurst corporate relations general manager
Sam Aarons said both Westport and Taranaki
ports were now able to load and discharge coal.
However, more upgrades were planned to current
infrastructure, including coal-loading facilities.
Bathurst has previously said it plans to spend
over $20m upgrading Westport port.
An Environment Court decision is expected
soon on the Denniston mine. Bathurst also needs
access agreements from the Department of Conservation.
Buller Coal owns and operates all Bathurst’s
operations on the Buller coal? eld.
Bathurst has estimated the Buller project, once
fully operational, will create 450 direct jobs and
1800 indirect jobs, $90m a year in household
income and $180m a year in royalties and taxes.