West Coast mine tram attraction could become 'fantastic' new walkway

Nicole Mathewson Reporter from The Press

By Brendon McMahon, local democracy reporter

The fate of the underground Denniston Experience-tram ride into the historic Banbury Mine has been sealed, seven years after its shock closure when new mining regulations kicked in.

It could instead be redeveloped as part of a “fantastic” new walkway once a new master plan for Denniston was finalised, the West Coast Conservation Board was told on Friday.

The Department of Conservation (DOC) is moving the historic Banbury site – the earliest coal mine on the Denniston Plateau – from 'care and maintenance' status to 'rehabilitation'.

The Pike River disaster in 2011, the year the underground train ride opened, signalled the end for the Denniston tram attraction just five years later. It closed in 2016 when new mining regulations required the operator to have a first-class mine manager's certificate.

DOC Western South Island director Mark Davies told the board it was important to note the vision for the Banbury Mine site into the future would be considered in a broader master plan now being developed for the plateau.

The Denniston master plan would help order priorities by DOC for any further work to enhance the visitor experience, along with protecting the heritage and biodiversity values of the plateau, Davies said.

He had asked for the master plan after a previous “reactive” approach to fixing problems at Denniston, such as the two-time collapse and repair of a stone wall at the brakehead at the top of the incline.

Davies said decisions now for parts of Denniston were essentially about “when is enough, enough?”

“What we've got there is changing priorities.”

After 2017, when the previous Denniston Experience operator surrendered the concession, the department could not find another operator prepared to meet the new regulatory limits to operate. “We had a number of attempts to get a commercial operator in to run the operation, but the costs... The number of visitors were very low -- it wasn't sustainable as a visitor operation.”

A move towards rehabilitation at the former experience site form part of the master plan.

“It's pretty clear to me that a walking track or experience has potential.”

The public has been barred from the Banbury site for now, but under a rehabilitation approach the site could be reconfigured to give visitors “quite a spectacular experience”.

Board member John Taylor said a big problem had been the decision pre-2011 to resurrect a rail-based operation into the old tunnel.

Davies said he was not able to address that, but “walking through is a fantastic experience”.

The Banbury venture began in 2007 and cost $3 million to set up. DOC collaborated in a joint venture with the Buller District Council, Development West Coast, Solid Energy and Friends of the Hill to create a new visitor attraction under a previous enhancement project for the Denniston Plateau.

It was spearheaded by a sudden burst in interest in Denniston in the preceding years after the publication of the novel The Denniston Rose by Jenny Pattrick and subsequent screen adaptation.

“It received very positive reviews and won several awards. It included a short train ride and an audiovisual experience inside the mine, bringing to life the experience of an underground mine for visitors.”

The Banbury site is currently stewardship land recommended for reclassification as historic reserve.

A DOC staff report to the board said there were numerous options available in a “rehabilitation pathway” for Banbury Mine. “This will be one that balances visitor safety, heritage values, finance, and visitor experience.”

*Local Democracy Reporting is Public Interest Journalism funded through NZ On Air