Forest and Bird launched the petition last October, but has been unable to provide a breakdown of the number of signatures collected on the West Coast. Mrs Pugh has been a staunch critic of the petition, having previously said the West Coast economy relies on the long-term viability of mining. Mayor Gibson said most people who signed the petition would be from outside the West Coast. He also said it was “ironic” to expand mining when he claimed the West Coast faced increasing risks from climate change. “There is a cruel irony in doubling down on coal expansion while communities around New Zealand, including on the West Coast, face growing risks from climate change.”