Photo: Fox Meyer

A proposal to expand mining operations on the Denniston Plateau pits the economy against ecology, leaving the Government facing a high-stakes decision.

A proposal to extend mining on the Denniston Plateau has triggered a flashpoint on the West Coast, with conservation groups taking on the company behind the plan.

More than 12,400 people have now signed a petition to protect the Denniston Plateau, stating that the conservation land should be reserved for native species, not for fast-tracked coal mines.

"Denniston hosts unique ecological associations which, if destroyed, cannot be recreated," reads the Forest and Bird pet

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