08 July 2003
Newmont, the Council…and you
Newmont’s role is to assist in the input of ideas and to integrate those selected into the closure and rehabilitation plan where:

• there is a justifiable business case
• the options are geotechnically and environmentally feasible .

Newmont Waihi Operations General Manager Dave Ingle comments ‘This doesn’t mean we want a wish list. What it does mean is that we want considered and viable options for the future use of these areas. These options need to be carefully planned, self sustaining, environmentally compatible and of course they need to contribute to the social and economic future of the town and wider district. We call this the ‘justifiable business case ‘ It may sound like a big request, but we all need to get this right’.
Hauraki District Council has an integral role to play as community advocate. They will provide input and expertise to ensure that any proposal is consistent with overall district planning and funding, and that responses are appropriate. This advocacy role will provide consistency and continuity.
The community provides input and ideas, and has the constructive ongoing role of participating in the community trust to manage the facilities.
This is an opportunity for everybody to participate in the future direction of Waihi, to put forward suggestions, to listen to what others have to say, and to participate in the implementation of the selected plans.












COMPANY LIAISON OFFICER

For further information, please contact

Doreen McLeod

Ph: 863 9776
Mob: 027 279 9739

  Waihi's Golden Legacy
Golden Legacy is the name given to the closure concepts being developed for Martha Mine. The objective of the Golden Legacy Project is to incorporate the closure and final rehabilitation of Martha Mine within an overall plan for the future of Waihi.
It embodies Newmont’s philosophy of developing and maintaining a ‘Social Licence To Operate’. The SLTO is a vital part of the Newmont culture. It is based on the belief that business and community interests are not mutually exclusive, and that the closer we work together the more we can create value for all parties.
Firmly based on environmental, social and economic considerations, the Golden Legacy concept is also influenced by land use constraints arising from historic mining operations.
The Golden Legacy concept is being developed as part of the plan to leave the community with a safe and self-sustaining site that can be monitored and maintained as a public facility in perpetuity once mining and final rehabilitation have been completed.
The concept draws heavily on the mine’s closure plans which are updated annually, and will be developed in cooperation with Hauraki District Council, Environment Waikato and the local community. LINZ, Department of Conservation and Historic Places Trust will also be involved.
 
Community Participation
The consultation process is an opportunity for members of the Waihi community to have their say in the shaping of the town’s future development.
Waihi has a range of existing strengths: streetscape, walkway developments and heritage features to name a few. The town also has many active community groups, each with ideas and aspirations for the future.
By working together, rehabilitation options for the Martha Mine Project that build on the existing strengths of the town and community can be identified. Newmont will consider these options in the further development of Rehabilitation and Closure Plans.
In some cases, decisions made will be largely determined by statutory, geotechnical, environmental, and economic considerations.
As an example, in the case of the pit lake the company must meet its obligations in terms of safety, stability and water quality. Within this framework there will be opportunities to modify plans to accommodate community aspirations.
The final mix of all of these issues will produce the more detailed Golden Legacy plans – and this is the opportunity the community has to present a compelling case and to participate in a concept that has the potential to:


• enhance the environment
• make better use of existing and planned infrastructure and resources
• assist in the development of new facilities
• increase property values
• boost tourism
• increase employment opportunities.

 

 
The Issues
What specific issues need to be considered?

• Martha Mine will close in 2006-2007. This will be followed by some residual processing of stockpiled ore and final rehabilitation. That’s only a few years away. The community has an opportunity to join the mine in planning for closure now.
• The Cornish pumphouse. Technical work is currently underway to determine whether the pumphouse is at risk in its current situation. Will it need to be moved? If so where? What is the best long-term option?
• Empire and Royal Lode hazard zones. Access to these areas may be limited. Should they be incorporated in shallow arms of the pit lake so that the public can use the area safely? Should they be fenced off and developed as a form of plant or wildlife sanctuary? Could a community trust be developed to mange these and possibly other areas?
• Property Sales Assistance Programme. If owners participate in the recently announced package should this area be incorporated into the Golden Legacy plan?
• Community Solution Support Package. How should this area be used?
• Conveyor corridor and tunnel. Could this route be used as an additional walkway and added to the local network?
• Tailings Storage Facility. What should be done with this area? Could parts be a wildlife sanctuary?
• Local heritage features. How could the Golden Legacy plan work in with local heritage features such as the old cyanide tanks and the ore roasting kilns on Union Hill?
• What other ideas are there? What other considerations need to be taken into account?
What will best serve the long-term interests of the Waihi community?
 

Will the pumphouse need to be moved? If so where? What is the best long-term option?

What Can We Each Do?
The community has the opportunity to participate and to help make a difference. Dave Ingle and other senior staff are available to make a presentation to interested groups. ‘We welcome the opportunity to make the community aware of our current plans, and we most certainly welcome community input. This is the time to make your views known.’
Dave stresses that current plans are concepts only, and exist to show the community just what is possible. ‘We have kick-started the process by producing some possible ideas, now we need to hear what the community thinks.’
Already the Golden Legacy presentation has been made to the Waihi Community Consultative Committee and the Waihi Tourism Group. More presentations are planned in the near future, including one to Hauraki District Council.
In addition the new Golden Legacy Centre on the corner of Moresby Avenue and Savage Road will be opened later this month. Company Liaison Officer Doreen McLeod and Information Officer Donna Fisher will be based at the Centre.
Dave Ingle sounds a word of caution, however. ‘The community’s input is really important, but we also need input from the Council and Environment Waikato as the regulatory authorities, as well as a range of other organisations. There is also a range of consents we must adhere to. The trick is to put all of these into the mix and come up with the best outcome for Waihi.’

Where To From Here?
A detailed geotechnical report resulting from monitoring and modelling will be presented to Hauraki District Council for peer review in mid-July. A heritage assessment of the pumphouse is underway. This will provide background for a decision on preferred options for the structure – possibly driven by geotechnical stability considerations. Both these reports will provide a clearer understanding of closure options.
A closure timeline will soon be made available to the community. In the meantime, get involved. Make your views known to a Community Consultative Committee member, to Golden Legacy manager Kathy Mason or Doreen McLeod at Newmont, or to Hauraki District Council.
This is an opportunity for us all to be involved, and to make sure that when Martha Mine finally closes the community of Waihi is left with a real Golden Legacy.

Social Licence to Operate
'The acceptance and belief by society, and specifically our local communities, in the
value creation of our activities, such that we are allowed to access and extract minerals'