Mt Augustus

The Mt Augustus ridgeline

The Mt Augustus ridge is a spectacularly beautiful place, rising steeply 1000 metres from the sea near Westport. A prominent feature on the Buller skyline, the ridge is a haven of biodiversity, home to Great Spotted Kiwi and other endangered species. It also has cultural significance for local iwi.

Much of the area was recommended for protection by a Department of Conservation scientific report in 1998, but was removed from the protection list at the behest of Solid Energy. Instead, with blasting and bulldozers, Solid Energy is currently removing up to 40 vertical metres from the ridgeline.

Powelliphanta ‘Augustus’ was first spotted in 1996, not recognised as a seperate species until 2003. By then much of the original habitat had already been destroyed. In early 2005, another substantial chunk of habitat was ‘accidentally’ destroyed by mining activities. Now that Solid Energy has permission to destroy 94 percent of the remaining habitat, and drop rocks on the rest, the species is likely to be driven to extinction before it has even been formally named.