It is reported that seventy workers at Buller's Stockton coal mine will be out of a job by the end of the week. The redundancies coincide with the start of a partnership between Solid Energy with Australian company Downer EDI Mining.

Mr Bryn Somerville spokesman of Solid Energy said that the mine will be restarting with the minimum number of staff it needs to go forward. He says if more people are needed further down the line, the redundant workers will get priority.

Mr Somerville said that Stockton Mine has the potential to provide jobs for the Buller area for another 20 years but to do that Solid Energy needed to make some serious changes.

(Sourced from www.newstalkzb.co.nz)