Forest and Bird has responded to criticism from Invercargill MP Penny Simmonds over its plans to challenge coal exploration in Western Southland.

The environmental organisation is taking Southland District Council to court over its decision to grant Bathurst Resources Limited consent to explore for a new coal mine on council land near Nightcaps.

Simmonds, earlier this month, said that action was premature.

"Forest & Bird is being overhasty in its legal action against the SDC," Simmonds said.

Advertisement: McKnight & Brown

"The council has simply granted exploratory access to the land at this time – any future removal of coal would still require a new publicly notified resource consent process.

"For Forest & Bird to seek a judicial review of a decision which is yet to actually involve coal mining is premature and heavy-handed, because decent Southlanders could face a hefty legal bill.

"It’s also disappointing that Forest & Bird has chosen litigation in the first instance, before even approaching the council with its concerns."

Simmonds made the comments on the day before the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released its 'code red for humanity' report into global warming.

Advertisement: Te Anau Panelbeaters

She highlighted the fact NZ imported more coal last year than it has in 14 years, and is likely to break that record this year.

"Of course we must transition to more sustainable energy sources, no one is debating that, but in the meantime if we’re not producing coal here it’s likely it will be imported into our country anyway."

But F&B Chief Executive Kevin Hague tells the Southland App: "We can either have a planet that future generations are able live on or we can have continued coal mining.

"Penny Simmonds needs to decide which of these she supports, and perhaps had better check with her senior colleagues before doing so, given that the Independent Climate Change Commission, which along with, for example, the IEA [International Energy Agency], has said that coal mining must stop, was a National Party proposal."