THE WAIHI NORTH PROJECT An Overview
The Waihi North Project was first announced in June 2021, and consists of five main components:
• Wharekirauponga Underground Mine – A new underground mine at Wharekirauponga, just north of Waihi, and associated infrastructure at a portal entrance on Oceanagold land at the end of Willows Road, Waihi.
• Gladstone Open Pit – A pit directly to the west of the Oceanagold Waihi Processing Plant.
• Tailings storage – Increasing tailings storage capacity by constructing a third tailings storage facility (TSF3) immediately east of the current facilities and adding tailings storage within the Gladstone open pit on completion of mining.
• Northern Rock Stack (NRS) – A rock storage facility to the north of the current tailings storage facilities.
• Processing Plant upgrade – Increasing throughput capacity at our existing Processing Plant.
The Wharekirauponga Underground Mine would be accessed via a tunnel from Company-owned land on Willows Road, outside the Forest Park, allowing us to minimise our surface impacts. An interconnecting transport tunnel back to our existing Processing Plant allows us to transport materials in and out of the Wharekirauponga area without vehicles on public roads.
The only surface expression within the forest park would be up to four ventilation raises, which are required for air circulation and safety reasons.
These raises would be temporary structures in place for the life of the mine and would be fully rehabilitated upon completion of mining. The final surface footprint of each vent raise would be approximately 12 m x 12 m each. None of our work would impede public access to Wharekirauponga. We recognise the significance and sensitivity of the Wharekirauponga area and its ecology, which is an important recreational area, and home to several native and endemic species. That’s why any potential mining operation we may undertake within the Forest Park would only be underground – not at the surface level.
The planned Gladstone Open Pit, TSF3, NRS, and Processing Plant works are all located on or adjacent to our existing operational area at Waihi.
The Waihi North Project signifies a long-term commitment to, and investment in, the wider region. If approved, the project will extend operations to 2037 and beyond, longer than any single previous outlook.
Oceanagold Corporation is a gold producer with over 35 years of operating sustainably in New Zealand. The company was founded in New Zealand, at Otago’s Macraes operation (which it continues to operate today), and has built an international portfolio as one of the most progressive gold miners in the world. We are also actively closing a mine at Reefton in the South Island, having successfully and sustainably operated that mine on Department of Conservation administered Forest Park.