chair - Richard TACON

Richard Tacon is chief executive of Bathurst Resources, New Zealand's largest coal mining company, and owner of Stockton coal mine near Westport in the Buller District. Richard's first job in mining was in the 1970s at Liverpool State Mine, near Greymouth. Since then his career has taken him to Australia, where he held various positions from under manager through to general manager. Since returning to New Zealand over a decade ago Richard has worked in the senior leadership team of Bathurst Resources, and became chief executive in 2015.
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Trustee - Glenys perkins

Born on the Coast and born into mining, Glenys has been in the industry her entire life. From driving machinery to business management and advocacy, Glenys has a deep understanding of all levels of the sector. She believes the West Coast is one of New Zealand's most resource rich regions, and with the right leadership, mining can make an even greater contribution to New Zealand's economy. Glenys also sits on the board of the Coal Association of New Zealand.
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Trustee - peter o'sullivan

Peter O'Sullivan previously worked as manager for Minerals West Coast, and now sits on the trust. He heads the mines, civil, and trades school at Te Tai Poutini Polytechnic based in Greymouth.
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Trustee - pAT COOPER

Pat Cooper has worked in the mining industry for over four decades both in New Zealand and overseas. He is known within the industry for his expertise in drilling, and now owns and operates Coopers Drilling Services. He has consulted to many companies, and managed drilling projects as far afield as Antarctica. He is now based in Westport.​​



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MANAGER - PATRICK PHELPS

Patrick works as manager for Minerals West Coast. A born and raised West Coaster,  Patrick grew up on a gold claim south of the Hokitika River. His working life includes journalism, marketing and communications, wilderness guiding, and pest control. Prior to taking up the role at MWC he lived in Nanjing, China, studying Mandarin. 

Trustee - brett cummings

Since completing his heavy diesel apprenticeship in Greymouth in the late 1970s, Brett has worked and had businesses in alluvial gold mining and as a heavy diesel mechanic. Brett has seen many changes in the industry since his grandfather was mining gold with a sluice. He now manages his father's gold claim and is self-employed as a diesel mechanic. He has worked twice for Komatsu, once as a technical rep, and once as South Island branch manager. Brett is the chairman of the West Coast Gold Miners' Association.
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Trustee - peter haddock

Born and raised in Greymouth, Peter started his career with a carpentry apprenticeship, later going on to work in building and contracting. A high gold price in the early 1980s led Peter to follow a friend into gold mining, and he's been in the game ever since. After building two gold screens of his own, he made a business out of it and founded E-Quip Engineering, which, like one of the first two screens, is still running today. Peter's roots on the Coast go back four generations, and he hopes future generations can enjoy the same opportunities in the region.
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Trustee - lINCOLN sMITH

Trustee - dAve Stone

Trustee -Geoff Jacobs

Contact us

Minerals West Coast Trust
Manager: Patrick Phelps
Phone: 021 238 6846
Email: manager@mwc.org.nz