• Regulatory requirements
• Legacy project investments
• Donations and sponsorships
  

Regulatory Requirements
Newmont Waihi Gold is obligated, through its mining licence and resource consents, to rehabilitate and decommission the mine site when mining ends. While activities that fall into this category are regulatory requirements, it is logical that these should also address practical community aspirations. Examples include:

• pit lake
• pit surrounds and conveyor route
• tailings storage ponds and waste rock embankments
• bunds

Legacy Project Investments
These are projects that have been identified in the Waihi Community Vision (WCV) 2020 Vision process that meet Newmont Waihi Gold’s objectives for leaving a sustainable legacy.

These projects would ideally align with other plans, such as Hauraki District Council’s Long Term Council/Community Plan (LTCCP).

The focus is on projects that could help reduce potential economic and social effects of mine closure and replace an estimated 22% of ‘Gross Town Product’ (see graph). This will involve support for capacity building and partnership initiatives. Such projects will be community owned, driven and led, with the flexibility to achieve outcomes that meet community aspirations. We would expect Newmont Waihi Gold would be one of a series of partners in any project.

Legacy projects are designed to move from assistance with project initiation to projects becoming self-sustaining. The projects must eventually be able to sustain themselves whether or not Newmont Waihi Gold is operating.

NWG legacy project investments are:

• part of Newmont Waihi Gold’s contribution to the community and the town’s historic gold story
• an acknowledgement beyond regulatory obligations of operational effects on community
• a partnership investment in projects the community prioritises that meet Newmont aims and values
• a start up investment rather than an ongoing fund
• a community investment rather than an automatic entitlement

Examples of current legacy project investments include:

• Pit rim walkway
• Slevin Park
• Gold Discovery Centre and VWT
• Waihi Community Vision and its four sub-groups
• DotterelWatch partnership with DoC
• KauriBank and other plantings
• HELP/Wild About Waihi project

Donations and Sponsorships
Newmont Waihi Gold will continue to provide support for a range of community groups and projects in the Waihi region through donations and sponsorships.

The community investment policy aims to assist as wide a range of groups as possible so that maximum benefit can be gained for the greatest number of people.

In order to best respond to community needs and aspirations and to fairly allocate budgeted resources there are set procedures and guidelines to follow, while we also aim to be flexible and adaptable.

Changes to the New Zealand tax laws that took effect in July 1 2008 do not lessen the amount that is spent overall. However, these changes do mean that the company must tighten up procedures and more strictly apply the criteria when assessing recipients of financial and in-kind assistance.

Donations
After 1 July 2008, NWG may incur gift duty liability through provision of donations to non-charitable community groups.

A charitable community group can increase its eligibility for financial assistance by registering with the Charities Commission as a charitable organisation. This will allow it to maintain its tax-exempt status and will also prevent its benefactors (NWG in this case) from becoming subject to gift duty on donations they provide.

Not all non-profit organisations are considered by the Charities Commission to have charitable status. Sport and recreational clubs, for instance, are unlikely to be able to register with the Charities Commission, as well as various other recipients of financial assistance from NWG. The Charities Commission can confirm the status of your organisation or club.

Schools are treated in a similar manner as charitable organisations and maintain their tax-exempt status.

Sponsorships
Organisations that do not qualify for donations can still apply to NWG for assistance in the form of sponsorships. A sponsorship agreement requires the recipient to provide something to the sponsor in return for the assistance provided. For example, a recipient might display NWG signage at an event or give the company the naming rights for a tournament. Under the new laws these agreements are tightened up and need to be documented internally and externally.

Examples of community investment through donations and sponsorships include:

• Waihi Gold Mining Education Trust for Waihi College
• Donations to primary schools and pre-schools
• Sponsorships for sports fixtures or tournaments
• Financial support for service organisations such as St John Ambulance, Waihi Fire Brigade

Funding Criteria

• It is our policy to support community activities that take place within this region
• Projects should demonstrate sustainable benefit in the longer term
• Enhancement of extended educational opportunities is considered
• Recipients should have demonstrated an ability to help themselves. Provision is made to assist individuals or groups who represent, in their chosen field or endeavour, their school, community or region at recognised national or international events or competitions
• Other requests are to be considered on a case by case basis if exceptional circumstances exist
• Appropriate public acknowledgment is required
• Project principles should be consistent with Newmont values
  

How to apply for assistance.
Write a brief letter to us and include:

• an outline of the project for which funding is required
• the dollar amount or a description of the in-kind support being sought
• a description of who will benefit, how many will benefit and how they will benefit
• bank details on your letterhead, or a bank deposit slip
• your GST registration number if you have one