The coal under the ridgeline is
the most valuable part of the known reserve at Solid Energy's Stockton Opencast
Mine. Some ridgeline mining had been attempted in the past with mixed results.
Solid Energy recognised that significant project planning was required in order
to overcome the formidable technical issues associated with mining the area. It
also recognised that the local community also had concerns about the potential
impacts of this work including the visual impact of changing the topography of
the ridgeline and the nearness of the Department of Conservation estate.

This paper outlines some of the
risks and challenges that were faced and the management approaches that were
adopted to address them.