On Tuesday November 12 at 11am Coromandel Watchdog of Hauraki  and representatives of local groups opposing mining across the region will be rallying outside Oceana Gold Ltd office in Moresby Avenue Waihi, to protest the expansion of mining and drop off an Open Letter of more than 1000 signatures calling on Oceana to go home and stay home. 

“Oceana Gold have opted to use the Fast Track legislation to go ahead with the Waihi North gold mining project at Waihi and in the conservation forest at Wharekirauponga. Halfway through their consent application they have  chosen to take the easy way out and have shown no respect for community concerns” said Catherine Delahunty, Chairperson of Watchdog. 

“This means all the work we have done to prepare for a robust process via the courts is out the window. People are angry that a foreign mining company is willing to ignore the need for a social licence, let alone tangata whenua and the range of  local voices being heard on mining impacts . There are serious issues of precedent for other parts of this region and huge risks to biodiversity and water quality. A new vast toxic waste dump will be created. The Fast Track expert panel, whoever they may be,  is not a substitute for proper process. The new law is the Government’s fault, but as they refuse to listen to submitters,  we will be protesting against the companies here for avoiding local scrutiny and continuing to expand toxic gold mining.”

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