The coal is transported to Ngakawau using this ropeway, doing away with the dangerous railway operation that plagued the Millerton and Denniston Inclines.

From Ngakawau, most of the coal is transported by rail to Lyttelton, where it is exported via ship to steel makers in Japan, India, China, South Africa and Brazil.

The system used 275 v DC from a low overhead line via trolley poles, and 915 mm gauge track.

The drainage was expected to continue until about the year 2100, and the treatment costs were anticipated to increase when the mine eventually closed, with the Government total liability estimated at $83 million in 2020.

[5] In 2022, a bituminous geomembrane lined storage area was installed to safely contain mining byproducts as the site prepares for eventual closure.