Hope on the Plateau: Easter at Denniston
Activists hold a banner at the meeting point between the Stockton coal mine, and the untouched native forest where the proposed Denniston mine expansion would enroach. Image: Neil Silverwood.
This blog records the experiences of Amanda and Chris, two members of Common Grace Aotearoa’s climate campaign team.
Over Easter, we joined 70 others camping on the Denniston Plateau, right in the path of ex-tropical cyclone Tam. Amid cold, pouring rain, we pitched tents around Bathurst Resources’ Escarpment Coal Mine. Why? To highlight the devastating consequences of a proposed new coal mine on the Denniston Plateau —both for the climate and for this rare and irreplaceable ecosystem.
What’s Proposed at Denniston Plateau —and Why It’s So Harmful
The proposed mine by Bathurst Resources would extract around 20 million tonnes of coal. Burning that coal would release approximately 56 million tonnes of CO₂. This isn’t just a local issue—it’s a global threat. Scientists are clear: if we’re to keep global warming below the 2°C threshold agreed in the Paris Accord, most known fossil fuel reserves must stay in the ground. Yet here we are, not only burning existing reserves but looking for more.
The plateau is home to an extraordinary array of life, including endangered species found nowhere else: the great spotted kiwi (roroa), giant carnivorous land snails, native geckos, and stunning forest birds like tomtits and South Island robins. We often saw them hopping around our tents, almost as if saying, “Please look after our home.”
It’s a dramatic, magical landscape—alpine wetlands with stunted conifers, mosses hundreds of years old, and bonsai-like trees adapted to the nutrient-poor soil. Sandstone outcrops give it a wild, otherworldly character. To destroy this with an open-cast coal mine would be to sacrifice one of God’s precious creations for short-term gain.
The nearby Stockton Coal mine scars the landscape. Image: Neil Silverwood.
Faith and the Call to Action
While I didn’t join this action because of my faith in any overt way, I can see now that God’s hand was in it from the start. Ever since I was a child, I’ve felt the deep conviction that caring for creation is part of the role God has given me on this earth. I studied medicine because I believed people need a functioning ecosystem to survive. My work and studies have all been shaped by this belief: that we must protect what God has made.
The most vulnerable—those living in poverty or on the margins—are also the most affected by climate change. That places it squarely in our Christian mission. As Jesus said, “Whatever you did for the least of these, you did for me” (Matthew 25:40). This isn't just about trees and birds; it's about justice for God’s people and creatures alike.
Chris shared this sense too: “I really relate to the feeling that climate action is one of the reasons God chose to give me life at this time. The breakdown of our stable climate makes every other issue—poverty, hunger, conflict—so much worse. We know that the problem is impossibly big and urgent, but we just have to keep the faith that every ounce of effort matters in the sight of God. We can't control what might happen in the United States or any other country, but we can have a tangible impact on our surroundings if we commit to prioritising God's justice throughout our lives.
Following Christ was never meant to be comfortable. Sometimes it means missing out on friends’ baptisms to spend 10 hours in the back of a van, digging ditches in the rain, and continually mopping out the muddy dregs from the bathrooms in a losing battle to give them a semblance of cleanliness. And yet, I’ve rarely felt better.”
The Spirit at Work on the Plateau
Amanda and Chris lead an Easter Sunday service on the Denniston Plateau.
On Easter Sunday morning, we ran an informal church service we planned the night before. The Holy Spirit was absolutely at work as we prepared, and we had fourteen people came, most not regular churchgoers. Some had grown up in the church or held spiritual beliefs. Being able to speak to that space in a way that resonated with them was incredibly special.
But the Spirit was present in quieter ways, too. When campers showed signs of hypothermia, we worked together to keep them warm, dry, and safe. There was peace in that care. Peace in the shared work of digging drainage channels in the rain. Peace in small moments—like when a South Island robin visited me as I scraped a trench around my tent.
What Can We Do About the Mine?
If you're concerned about the mine's climate impact, there is something tangible you can do. 350 Aotearoa is coordinating people to persuade ANZ Bank to stop providing banking services to Bathurst Resources. Without funding, projects like this lose their social license.
If you bank with ANZ, or have your Kiwisaver with them, or your local church banks with them, we invite you to write to your branch. Express your concern that ANZ supports a company seeking to mine in an area repeatedly rejected due to environmental damage. Ask them to stop backing Bathurst.
There’s a template of what you can write to ANZ to put them on notice and more resources here.
If they don’t change track within a certain timeframe, then we encourage you to divest and switch to another bank that is climate-friendly.
Denniston Plateau is more than just land—it’s a sacred part of God’s creation. And we believe it’s worth protecting.