| Denniston Plateau | |
|---|---|
| Denniston-Stockton Plateau, Mount Rochfort Plateau | |
 View south to Mt Rochfort | |
| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 600 m (2,000 ft)  |
| Coordinates | 41°44′47″S 171°47′59″E / 41.74639°S 171.79972°E |
| Naming | |
| Etymology | Named after the coal mine manager |
| Geography | |
| Location | Buller District, West Coast Region, New Zealand |
| Parent range | Papahaua Range |
Denniston Plateau (technically the Denniston-Stockton Plateau) is an 18 km long, 600–800 m high coalfield plateau in the Papahaua Range on the West Coast of the South Island of New Zealand. A combination of impermeable rock, high rainfall, and shallow acidic soil has created a unique ecosystem of stunted trees and heath-like vegetation which is home to numerous endemic and undescribed species of plants and invertebrates. The plateau contains rich seams of high-quality coal, which led to the creation and abandonment of the mining towns of Denniston and Millerton, and the current Stockton Mine. Plans to create a new open-cast mine on the southern part of the plateau have become an environmental controversy.