NOTES FROM PUBLIC MEETING REGARDING WAIHI CONSULTATION COMMITTEE 19 MAY 2003

Meeting: Waihi Memorial Hall 7.00 p.m. Monday 19 May 2003.

Present: See appendix attached.

Apologies: Councillor Sel Baker, Dennis Crequer, John Gaukrodger.

1.0 The Essence of Waihi:
After our introduction you were invited to introduce yourselves and state to which group or organisation you belong (if any) and what you consider to be the essence of Waihi.
As the answers evolved they demonstrated the focus of your thinking on this consultation process and your desire for a positive outcome from it for Waihi in a number of different ways. The summary of your answers is:

1.1 Community
1.1.1 Community moving forward together
1.1.2 Doing what’s good for the community
1.1.3 Making sure the community is; Empowered / Served / “Well”
1.1.4 The community having control
1.1.5 Positive outcomes for the good of the community
1.1.6 Fair/Best deal for the community
1.1.7 The holistic health of the community
1.1.8 A united community
1.1.9 People are the heart of Waihi
1.1.10 Getting the best outcome for the biggest number

1.2 Waihi
1.2.1 The environment
1.2.2 Making sure what Waihi has is sustainable
1.2.3 Addressing current problems
1.2.4 Economic development for Waihi
1.2.5 Residential security
1.2.6 Preserving the town’s capital base

1.3 Future
1.3.1 Preserve links to the past
1.3.2 Developing Waihi for future generations (the youth)
1.3.3 Living here (in Waihi) having children here
1.3.4 Getting the best deal for the future
1.3.5 Addressing concerns for Waihi’s future
1.3.6 Go-forward / Progress
1.3.7 Making sure this is a good process

1.4 Heritage
1.4.1 Waihi’s social & architectural heritage
1.4.2 The town rests on its history
1.4.3 That the history of Waihi is retained
1.4.4 The area is honoured
1.4.5 That we keep what’s good

1.5 Mining
1.5.1 Address current issues
1.5.2 Achieve a balance
1.5.3 A fair deal for tangata whenua
1.5.4 Mining as part of the community
1.5.5 Gold company move toward harmony with the community
1.5.6 Integration of the positive benefits of mining for the community
1.5.7 Accountability of Newmont Waihi Operations and Hauraki District Council

As we wrote these up it seemed that they fell into the categories listed. There was a general consensus towards a need for positive change.

2.0 Agreed Ways of Working:
We asked you to suggest how the process could best be framed to make sure that we achieved the most out of this meeting. The suggestions you came up with will be carried over into the working group.
The suggestions were that we:

2.1 Are Courteous
2.2 Acknowledge the right of each individual to speak
2.3 Show Respect by taking turns in speaking and by not interrupting others
2.4 Respect other’s views
2.5 Use a parking lot to record and not overlook issues that need to be addressed
2.6 Capture each point before we move on
2.7 Make sure we are clear about the parameters of our discussions and what does/does not fall within the responsibility of the working group.
2.8 Critique in a way that everyone can move forward
2.9 Look at issues in a future/solution based way
2.10 Work for the best for Waihi
2.11 Are positive
2.12 Are honest – clear about what we can and can’t address
2.13 Are non-confrontational
2.14 Work towards trust
2.15 Allow space for considered answers (the time to go away and come back with answers to questions if necessary)
2.16 Acknowledge culturally significant rights

This is a comprehensive list and we will be inviting the working group to take the list further as a charter for the way in which it will go about its business.

3.0 Terms of Reference for the working group – matters decided at the meeting:
We worked through the terms of reference by which you want the working group to be guided. Recorded in this section are the headings of the terms that you made decisions about as a group. The decisions are recorded in italics.
It was proposed that the working group needed to have:

3.1 A defined purpose
3.1.1 The Committee offers an opportunity to liase with and to make recommendations to, the mining company and the District and Regional Councils, on historic and current issues and future planning, to ensure:
ÿ A healthy future for Waihi;
ÿ The gaining and maintaining of positive relationships community wide;
ÿ The environmental, cultural, economic and social viability and stability of the area; and
ÿ The preservation and enhancement of the heritage of Waihi.

3.2 The power to co-opt
3.2.1 The committee has the power to co-opt members

3.3 Record of meeting – what is recorded; how to feed back to community / wider consultation process; how to disseminate information
3.3.1 The meetings are to be open to the public unless held “in committee”
3.3.2 Discussion points, progress and recommendations are to be recorded “by agreement” of the committee.
3.3.3 Dissemination of information is to be via notes from each meeting, local newspapers, radio and websites. (To be finalised by the working group)

3.4 Decision making process – how to reach agreement on recommendations?
3.4.1 Decisions will be made by consensus where possible. Where this is not possible, the decision making process on recommendations to be made will be by simple majority of all working group members with voting rights.

3.5 Liaison between working group – community – company and councils
3.5.1 The community will have an opportunity to have input into the committee on issues to be addressed.
3.5.2 The working group will liaise with the mining company and councils.


4.0 Terms of reference that are yet to be decided by the working group
Other matters which were raised that we decided needed to be resolved by the working group itself were:
4.1 The name of the group.
4.2 Meetings – frequency; venue; day & time
4.3 Funding for the meeting process and ensuring the equity of that.
4.4 Timeframe for consultation process
4.5 Self-review and evaluation – timing / process
4.6 Will the working group be involved in the implementation stage
4.7 How and when to go back to the community on proposed recommendations.

5.0 Nomination of Working Group
The working group was determined by those present defining each interest group that should be represented on the working group. These were listed as per the left hand column below. The groups were then asked to nominate a representative as per the right hand column.
5.1 Iwi – Tangata whenua John McIvor
5.2 Waihi Community Marae Tui Cunningham
5.3 Hauraki District Council (1 vote) Mayor Basil Morrison or delegate
5.4 Mining Company (1 vote) Dave Ingle, Doreen McLeod, Kathy Mason
5.5 Education sector Barry Maughan
5.6 DRAT / Advocacy Collette Spalding
5.7 Go Waihi (1 vote) Rod Lawrence / Bronwyn Wightman
5.8 NZ Historic Places Trust Rob Martinson (Gail Henry advisory)
5.9 Hauraki Enterprise Agency Clare Mewse
5.10 Waihi Rugby Union Steve Moore
5.11 Waihi Tourism Group Mark Samson
5.12 Walkways Eric Lens
5.13 Wider community (Waikino) Homer Stubbs
5.14 Waihi Community Resource Centre To be advised
5.15 Service Clubs Rex Dillimore
5.16 Arts / Cultural Don Lockwood
5.17 Independent Ruth Ordish
5.18 Environment Waikato Dennis Crequer (observe / advise)

6.0 The Parking Lot
So we do not lose track of matters raised that need to be discussed at a later stage we recorded issues for future reference by the working group. These were:
6.1 Are the recommendations of this group going to be taken seriously?
6.2 Are we getting what we bargained for regarding a Rehabilitation Plan (what are we/the Company going to leave and why)
6.3 Can we address current issues first ?
6.4 Need to acknowledge the effects of historical mining
6.5 We need to re-unite the community
6.6 Will there be presentations by HDC / EW & NWO to the consultation group.

7.0 Post Box
At the meeting we also placed a drop box where people were able to leave a note of any other issues that they wished to have addressed at a later stage. The matters raised were:
7.1 As facilitators, do you intend first and foremost, addressing the issue of the widespread land settlement and slumping in Waihi – if not, why not?
7.2 Do you intend seeking full public disclosure by both the mining company and HDC of any information relating to dewatering beneath Waihi township including; Depth of; Perimeter affected by; The expected effect dewatering may have on both old mine workings and settlement and slumping of surface properties?

8.0 Next Meeting
Those nominated for the working group met briefly after the closure of the meeting and agreed to meet on Monday 9 June 2003 at 7.00 p.m.

Venue to be advised.


Tim & Sharon

List of People Who Attended the first consultation meeting 19 May 2003

Leonie Anderson
Anne Anderson
Peter Anderson
Brian Atger
Gunter Bobsien
Keith Brodie
Winn Brownlee
Langley Cavers
Tuihana Cunningham
Barb Davis
Rex Dillimore
Rob Fenwick
Frances Flaherty
John Flaherty
Derek Hardy
Mike Hayden
Gail Henry
Eoin Hicks
Mike Hinstridge
Dave Ingle
Dave Jack
Bernard Lambert
Natalie Lane
Rod Lawrence
Eric Lens
Don Lockwood
Tessa MacKenzie
Rob Martinson
Kathy Mason
Barry Maughan
John McIver
Doreen McLeod
Clare Mewse
Robin Millen
Steve Moore
Mayor Basil Morrison
Oho Nicholls
Tewi Nicholls
Ruth Ordish
Ross O'Reilly
Gary Paterson
Pauline Pearce
Ollie Richardson
Wayne Robinson
Jo Rosenfeldt
Mark Samson
Collette Spalding
Robin Straker
Homer Stubbs
Keith Trembath
Cecilia Tukaki
Adriaan van Kersen
Christina van Zoelen
Ian Verrall
David Waters
Bronwyn Wightman
Kit Wilson