Story: Waikato region

Opencast coal mining

Opencast coal mining

An excavator loads overburden (soil and rock) onto a truck at the Rotowaro opencast mine west of Huntly. Overburden above the coal seam has to be removed before the coal itself can be mined. Opencast mining began in Waikato during the Second World War.

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Solid Energy New Zealand
Photograph by Alan Titchall

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How to cite this page:

Nancy Swarbrick, 'Waikato region - Energy and forestry', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/photograph/27146/opencast-coal-mining (accessed 3 May 2024)

Story by Nancy Swarbrick, updated 1 Jul 2015