Early May to late June is duck shooting season in the Hauraki area, which means that many ducks migrate to their holiday destination at the Newmont Waihi Gold tailings storage areas at Baxter Road away from the danger of shooters, guns and dogs.

Since comprehensive wildlife monitoring began in 2002, continually high visitation rates have been recorded each duck shooting season. This year an estimated 500-600 ducks have once again made this area their safe haven.

Newmont Waihi Gold environmental technician Gary Choat is also a regular visitor at the tailings ponds each day. His observations of the bird life there provide significant information about water management.

Newmont Waihi Gold is a signatory to the voluntary International Cyanide Management Code. This code represents best practice for the management of cyanide used in the gold mining industry. One of the requirements of the code is to manage cyanide processes and implement appropriate measures to protect birds and other wildlife from the adverse effects of cyanide. A regular wildlife monitoring programme tells us how effective these measures are.

The monitoring data collected includes identification of bird species, bird behaviour, wildlife counts and observations of wildlife habitat to determine how often the area is visited and how the area is used.

The monitoring programme also provides a range of other valuable data. Observation of bird behaviour provides information on preferred habitats and conditions. This can in turn suggest final plantings and conditions that will be most attractive to bird life when the site is finally closed.

..And, speaking of the NZ Dotterel...

Our last Update reported on the visit to site of Department of Conservation staff to discuss the Dotterel Watch partnership between DoC and Newmont Waihi Gold.

Did the dotterels know they were the focus of attention or was it coincidence that the very next day Gary Choat spotted a dotterel pair at the site. The following day there were two pairs. On the third day there were three pairs. It is believed they are checking out potential nesting sites for later in the year.

Future proofing

Many businesses in Waihi will recently have received an email forwarded by Go Waihi on behalf of the University of Queensland Centre for Social Responsibility in Mining. The Centre has been commissioned by Newmont Waihi Gold to undertake an independent study of how stakeholders in the town of Waihi and the surrounding region are likely to be affected by the completion of mining activities. The short ten-question business survey forms one part of the study, which also includes interviews with various groups and a mine workforce survey.

While an extension of existing mining operations continues to be actively investigated, the current mine plan projects that mining at Martha will end in the third quarter of 2010 and Favona will close shortly after that. The gold price, production costs including fuel and labour, legislative changes, or even purchase by another company would all provide a different outcome and a different timeline.

No More Boom and Bust

The old days of 'boom and bust' are long gone. When the original Martha underground mine closed in 1952 the operation stopped, the workforce left, and there was no rehabilitation of the site. There was also little planning undertaken about how the loss of such a large workforce would affect the town.

Today, things have changed. Rehabilitation of the modern Martha Mine has always been a major part of mine planning. Rehabilitation proposals and closure concept plans were developed well before construction started in 1987, and those plans are revised annually.

Safe, Stable, Self Sustaining

There is an emphasis on leaving landforms that are safe, stable and self-sustaining. Rehabilitation and long term ownership and management of the land are important issues. There are significant bonds in place to ensure that closure and rehabilitation are carried out as planned under all circumstances.

The company has a closure plan and a closure team which ensure that the consent requirements are met and projects that leave a legacy for the community are identified.

Beyond Compliance

Newmont Waihi Gold is also actively involved in a range of activities we call 'Beyond Compliance'. These are activities and projects that are not part of the mine closure plan, but which the company is able to lead or contribute to as part of rehabilitation and closure activities. The Pit Rim Walkway is the most recent example of this type of activity.

Closure and the Community

Alongside physical closure considerations, we must also consider the social and economic effects of the end of mining in Waihi. For six years Waihi Community Vision has been doing just that. Recently the group has moved into a new phase with well-known Waihi identity Kevin Corney being elected as chairperson. Vision Waihi Trust with Eddie Morrow as CEO continues to actively work towards increasing the economic viability of Waihi after gold mining ends.

Are Newmont's mining operations in Waihi coming to an end? The current mine plan, constructed using the most recent data available, shows there is just over a year left. The company is still looking for more gold, and we have frequently stated that we would like to be here for the long term. But, just in case, if you received an email with a survey form it would be very helpful if you took a few minutes to complete and return it.

Links:

View the current operating scenarios

Find out more about rehabilitation