After five days occupying an ancient beech tree, and successfully blocking further expansion of the Cypress Mine on the West Coast, climate activist, Hamish Edwards has ended his occupation.

Climate Liberation Aotearoa activist, Hamish Edwards had been camping on a platform in a beech tree, 10 meters above the ground. The ropes securing the platform were tethered to a tree stump across the construction road, blocking machines from getting through.

“It feels good to be back on the ground, but feels better to have stopped Bathurst’s mine expansion for 5 days straight. It really shows that when you take action, you can stop destruction in its tracks.”

The occupation was in response to Bathurst Resources Ltd submitting a fast-track proposal for what would be the largest coal mine in New Zealand, which would effectively turn the Denniston Plateau into an open-cast coal mine.

The proposed new mine would extract 20 million tonnes of coking coal over the next 25 years, producing roughly 53 million tonnes of CO2 - as much climate pollution as New Zealand produces in total in a year.

Climate Liberation Aotearoa activist, Hamish Edwards, says “ With the undemocratic fast track process this is the only way we have left to resist the mindless destruction of this unique wild place. I stand on the shoulders of those who have resisted environmental destruction on the West Coast for decades. It’s reckless that native bush and kiwi habitat are being destroyed to mine more coal in a climate crisis fuelled by fossil fuels, mining coal that will increase in a climate crisis”

The area that Edwards has been occupied is an old-growth forest, home to rare and endangered species such as the roroa. In the past year, Bathurst Resources has cleared approximately 10 hectares of this native forest to make way for its coal mine expansion.

Edwards received support from around the country for his protest, including a solidarity protest in Ōtepoti Dunedin, and words of support from Green Party MP, and veteran tree protector Steve Abel.

Steve Abel says, “Hamish is a hero who stands in a proud tradition of courageous people who have defended New Zealand’s irreplaceable nature from destruction by greedy mining companies like Bathurst Resources.”

Edwards is one of many people who have resisted coal mining on the West Coast. There is a rich history of New Zealanders peacefully protesting extractivist industries in the area.

Through the 1990’s activist group Native Forest Action and others from the community occupied West Coast forests calling for an end to native forest logging. Their campaign was successful and in 2002 native forest logging became illegal

From 2004-2014, the Save Happy Valley Coalition fought against the Cypres Mine, and managed to significantly delay its establishment.

In Easter last year, while two activists stopped the aerial ropeway of the Stockton Mine, another 70 people set up camp on the footprint of the Escarpment mine, protesting against Bathursts’ fast-track proposal.

Later in 2025, two activists stopped the aerial ropeway at the Stockton Mine for 23 days, in opposition to the proposal.

Edwards says, “just this year, Aotearoa has been devastated by deadly landslides and storms. These aren’t random accidents, they are because of the actions of callous, profit-driven corporations digging up and burning fossil fuels.”

“New Zealanders don’t want to see precious places destroyed for planet heating coal. Bathurst Resources has faced tremendous continued resistance to its coal mines, and they’re going to keep being met with resistance until they stop.”

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