Two climate defenders have suspended themselves in a coal bucket on the Stockton Mine ropeway, effectively blocking coal from leaving Bathurst Resources’ operation on the West Coast of Aotearoa New Zealand. The action targets Bathurst’s fast-track application to mine 20 million more tonnes of coal on the Denniston Plateau, a site of rare native biodiversity. Protesters say it also sends a direct message to ANZ, the company’s primary financier, which continues to back fossil fuel expansion.

“This is a line in the sand,” said Rachel Andrews from the aerial bucket. “ANZ is complicit in climate collapse. Bathurst is destroying the planet for profit. We’re here to stop them”. The protest comes ahead of a nationwide mobilisation on Friday 8 August, with coordinated actions planned outside ANZ branches in Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, Dunedin, Rotorua and Nelson. The call is clear: drop Bathurst, stop the mine, and end fossil fuel finance.

Climate Liberation Aotearoa warns that the country’s political and financial systems are accelerating ecological breakdown under the guise of economic growth. With public input restricted under the Fast Track Approvals Bill, protesters say disruption is now a necessary form of civic resistance. “Communities are rising up where governments and banks have failed,” Andrews said. “This is what climate protection looks like”. Bathurst says safety is its top concern and confirmed police were contacted. Protesters say they will remain in place for as long as needed.