RJ Banks

RJ Banks is the operator of the Burkes Creek mine, an underground sub-bituminous coal mine near Reefton on the West Coast of the South Island. It is difficult to determine exactly who owns the mine. Burkes Creek Mining is listed as a Coal Producer Member of the Coal Association of New Zealand but cannot be found on the http://www.business.govt.nz/ site. There is no company listed as RJ Banks, although RJ & RJ Banks are the holders of the mining permit. The 2011 mine audit, on the other hand, states that the Burkes Creek Coal Party owns and operates the mine, but again there is no listing for a company by this name.

Current Permits R J & R J Banks 41722	Coal Mining permit (Opencast &Underground)	13 Jun 2002–12 Jun 2042 Location: West Coast		32.4 ha			Operation name: Burkes Creek

Additional information In the aftermath of the Pike River disaster, the New Zealand Cabinet required that safety audits of all coal mines be carried out. This identified areas for improvement that would need to be addressed by the Burkes Creek mine operator before underground mining resumed.

Related SourceWatch Resources

 * New Zealand and coal
 * New Zealand Mining Industry Association
 * Solid Energy