Above: Neil Fisher-"three years ago I started at Waihi Gold on a ten week fixed contract which has turned into full time employment."

'I'm 40, married to Donna, and we have three children. I've lived in Waihi for 28 years and attended Waihi College. I'm a life member of the Waihi Soccer Club and currently coach the Waihi College13th Grade and the Waihi Senior Women's team.

I used to be a machine operator with the old Ministry of Works until 1983, when I broke my left leg in a work accident. The following year a motorcycle accident resulted in further complications and my left leg was amputated below the knee. Over the next sixteen years I rehabilitated myself while being a House Dad. After several attempts at gaining employment it appeared that as soon as employers found out I had a disability they didn't want to know me.
Three years ago I started at Waihi Gold on a ten week fixed term contract which has turned into full time employment. I am responsible for the receipting, issuing and despatching of goods to and from Stores. The best part of my job is working and interacting with a great bunch of people.
My future plans are to remain in the Supply Department and gain a better understanding of the total workings of supply operations.'

In Waihi we are used to the images of early underground mining. The shafts, poppet heads and winding gear have become tourist icons. Modern underground mining is highly mechanised and far less conspicuous than times of old.

There will be little to see of the proposed Favona Underground Project on the surface. Two air vent shafts, an escape shaft, the mine portal and a short haul road are all that will be noticeable. In the mining industry these structures are referred to as surface expressions.
The mine portal provides access to underground workings. A typical portal is about five metres high and the same distance across. The old rail tunnel entrance in the Karangahake Gorge is a similar size and a good example of a portal. Vehicles and staff use the portal to access the decline or sloping tunnel that descends in a large spiral to the ore body. Underground services such as compressed air, water and electricity are often routed via the portal. The Favona mine portal will be placed on the east of Gladstone Hill and face the existing mill site.

Above: The Portal at the Golden Cross Mine was a typical underground mine entrance

Fresh air will be circulated to underground workings by drawing used air to the surface. Fans and silencers sit on top of the air vent shafts that are typically six metres high and 2.4 metres in diameter. Air from underground would contain gases from blasting, vehicle exhausts & small quantities of dust.

Occupational Healthand Safety Regulations set the standards for air quality within the mine, and the purpose of the ventilation is to maintain suitable working conditions for the underground workers. The air released on the surface would be the same quality as that breathed by workers underground. It has been calculated that this air would be diluted up to 1000 times by the time it reaches the nearest private boundary.

Above: This computer generated
image shows a surface expression
of an air vent shaft.

The escape shaft links underground levels to the surface by way of a ladder inside a vertical shaft. This is a necessary part of the underground safety system. Escape shafts are barred by a gate at the surface that is opened from inside. Such shafts are only used for practices and real emergencies. An escape shaft may appear on the surface as a simple grate or a structure similar in size to a stock drinking trough.
A short haul road will link the portal to the mill stockpiles. Planting will screen the haul road from the west. Low profile underground trucks will haul ore to stockpiles sited in the area previously used to store ore from Martha Mine.

Partners and families toured Martha Mine recently at the first Employee and Family Open Day. The event was designed to provide the opportunity to see where family members work, and for employees to view all aspects of the operation.

About 170 employees and their families walked around the southern perimeter of the pit and then toured the Development Site to view the Water Treatment Plant, Process Plant and Storage Facility areas. Along the way they were shown the site of the Proposed Favona Underground Project. The visit concluded with a barbecue lunch provided by Waihi Scouts and Cubs leaders. Macmahons kindly arranged a display of large mining equipment which was eagerly climbed over by kids of all ages.

Feedback from the day was so positive that it looks like becoming an annual event on the calendar.

What have a threatened New Zealand bird species and a hard rock gold mine got in common?

The New Zealand dotterel is a threatened (Category B) species endemic to New Zealand. The population consists of two small groups, one in the North Island and the other on Stewart Island. The total population is less than 1500 individuals. The preferred environment of these birds is sandy beaches, usually near river mouths where food is plentiful. Dotterels eat a wide variety of food, most of which is found in the intertidal area. The decline of the New Zealand dotterel is due to several factors, but in particular, introduced predators such as cats, stoats and ferrets. Because their nesting areas are popular with beach goers, many dotterel nests get trampled by people, dogs, and trail bikes.