The Punakaiki Coastal Restoration Project (PCRP) is a case study in partnership and collaboration, which outlines how a consultative approach to mine closure can deliver shared benefits and create new endeavors that advance conservation, knowledge of biodiversity, and a broader understanding of the role of multi-sector partnerships. In 2000, Rio Tinto acquired 114 ha of coastal land at Punakaiki on New Zealand's South Island that had been the focus of a proposed mineral sand development, culminating in pilot-scale mining and processing by Westland Ilmenite Limited (WIL, part of North Ltd.), in the early 1990s. The site had been in care and maintenance from 1994. Rio Tinto instigated a process to ensure its approach to post-closure was developed and managed to meet its goal of contributing to sustainable development. Though much of the land has been cleared for pasture, the area is of high conservation value.