Coal deal undecided

Press, Volume CXVI, Issue 34130, 17 April 1976, Page 13

Coal deal undecided

(N.Z. Press Association) AUCKLAND

No agreement has 'een reached between Japar interests and West Coa o t Resources, Ltd, yet for the mining of the Mount Davy coal deposits, but the company’s chairman (Mr D. O. Walker) is confident contract negotiations will begin later next month or in June. He said that much still depended on the reaction of the Japanese steel mills to the report of the technical mission they sent to the field last month. Meanwhile, said Mr Walker, the company had had letters from the Minister of Mines and Energy Resources (Mr Holland) and the director of the Department of Energy Resources (Mr J. Hogg), setting out conditions under which the Government would permit the company to mine the field and export the coal. Mr Walker said he did not at this stage want to elaborate on the conditions, which were fairly complex and required careful study. The Government was not applying any pressure.

Running.—Siegfried Bauer will set out from Wellington tomorrow morning on the first stage of a two-day attempt to establish a world 300 km road-running record. The German-born New Zealander, now living In RaetUii after leaving Wellington three months ago, plans to set out at 4 a.m. tomorrow and hopes to complete his run around midafternoon on Saturday at Windsor Park. Hastings, venue for the annual Easter Highland Games.