Mining company OceanaGold has welcomed the Expert Panel’s final decision granting approval for development of the Waihi North Project, while environmental group Coromandel Watchdog has strongly criticised the decision, calling it a threat to the environment and local communities.
The Waihi North Project includes the Wharekirauponga underground mine, located approximately 10km north of OceanaGold’s existing Waihi Operation. OceanaGold says the project will extend mining at Waihi to around 2040 and deliver significant economic benefits locally, regionally and nationally.
OceanaGold President and CEO Gerard Bond said the Waihi North Project is the largest investment project in the company’s portfolio.
“We are investing around NZ$1 billion in this project, which will deliver high-paying jobs and contribute to economic growth for New Zealand. It will generate substantial taxes and royalties, support communities and boost exports, whilst also making a net positive contribution to the environment.”
OceanaGold’s Senior Vice President New Zealand for Legal and Public Affairs, Alison Paul, said the project will both add to and extend current operations at Waihi.
“Once producing, the Wharekirauponga Underground mine will generate over NZ$8 billion of export revenue for New Zealand (estimated at current gold prices). The Company expects to invest approximately NZ$1 billion and generate hundreds of additional, high-paying jobs associated with the project. About 80% of our expenditure is expected to be spent in New Zealand, including over 30% of that within the Hauraki District.”
Mr Bond also praised the Fast-track Approvals Act 2024, describing it as tough but welcome.
“This new legislation provides the efficiency and certainty of a very clear timeline, while maintaining stakeholder involvement and the necessary rigour, oversight and expert scrutiny of the Company’s proposals.”
Ms Paul said the process allocated 112 working days to assess the application and remained within that timeframe. Under the Fast-track Approvals Act, the Expert Panel assessed the proposal against 26 different Acts and regulatory instruments, involving five government regulators.
“Using previous processes to work through the different regulatory regimes under separate applications, the same project would have taken a number of years to permit, with unnecessary duplication, uncertainty and inefficiency, and no substantive added benefit,” she said.
“I can confidently say that speed does not equate to a lower standard of outcome.”
Ms Paul said 263 parties were invited to comment, resulting in more than 60 sets of submissions and a large number of expert reviews.
“Permitting is a substantial undertaking, but a necessary part of responsible business practice, which is why a clear and timely process like that introduced under the Fast-track Approvals Act is a sensible and important initiative.”
She thanked community members who participated in the process and reiterated OceanaGold’s long-term commitment to Waihi.
“When we acquired the Waihi mining operations in 2015, OceanaGold made a commitment to the New Zealand Government to invest in extending the life of mine in Waihi, which has been operating since 1988. With this set of approvals in-hand, we can follow through on that commitment. We look forward to making a significant contribution locally, regionally, and nationally. This includes our contribution towards New Zealand’s Predatorfree programme with a focus on the Coromandel Peninsula.”
Mr Bond said the company has a proven 35-year track record of operating within strict regulatory frameworks.
“This includes obligations relating to vibration, noise, dust, ground surface stability, biodiversity, and water management.”
He said the ecological value of the Wharekirauponga area was a key factor in the mine’s design.
“This is a key driver for the mine being underground and accessed by a tunnel from outside the Forest Park area, minimising any impacts at the surface.”
However, Coromandel Watchdog Chairperson Catherine Delahunty described the approval as deeply concerning.
“The decision to approve the Waihi North Mines project announced today is a ‘crime against the environment and our communities’,” she said.
“It’s the first private profit FastTrack Mine decision and it legitimises more toxic waste, more damage to biodiversity and more profits will head offshore.”
Ms Delahunty said the project includes the first underground mine on conservation land at Wharekirauponga.
“The Waihi North project includes the first underground mine on conservation land at Wharekirauponga which includes blasting and vibration under sensitive land and species and threatens the forest through dewatering and subsidence impacts.”
She also questioned the timing of the approval.
“The company admits they have 9 more years of exploratory drilling before they start mining at Wharekirauponga which shows their use of the Fast Track law was premature.”
Ms Delahunty said the Fast Track process limited the ability of opponents to challenge the proposal.
“Under the Fast Track we were able to comment but not to seriously challenge the range of risks this project presents to the environment and the future. We see this decision as a disaster for our region and its future.”
She said tangata whenua and community groups had limited opportunity to influence the outcome.
“The Fast Track process as currently designed has allowed ourselves and tangata whenua a limited opportunity to make comment. The Panel gave little weight to our concerns and assumed that the applicant mountain of evidence is evidence of robust environmental protections.”
Ms Delahunty said Coromandel Watchdog has little confidence in the company’s environmental assurances.
“We have no faith in the evidence of the company that they can impact on at-risk rare species and make up for it by some pest control down the road. We have no faith in the data they presented about the protection of fresh water in the underground mining situation when they have no base lines to establish safe water standards.”
She also raised concerns about tailings dams, dewatering, fire risk and long-term environmental liability.
“We can have no confidence in the ability of the tailings dams to last in perpetuity or the proposed bonds to pay for any collapse of these cyanide and heavy metal laden waste which risks the future of Tikapa Moana (the Hauraki Gulf).”
“We are also worried about the effects of dewatering under a forest and fire risk if soils and forests are affected by drought and underground water depletion; where is the fire plan for this remote area?”
Ms Delahunty said expert concerns had not been adequately addressed.
“We engaged with the draft Conditions of the Consent and it was clear that the concerns of our 16 experts have been ignored along with the serious cultural issues raised by iwi.”
Scientist Marie Doole from Mātaki Environmental also criticised the conditions of consent.
“There are ‘meagre checks and balances in the Conditions; a blizzard of management plans’ with the risk of harm if monitoring is not robust,” she said.
“At a time when the local authority responsibilities and planning laws are in flux, the last thing we need is a huge mining project in sensitive land and few local government experts able to monitor properly.”
