Goldmine closed for duration
WEST Coast Regional chairman Allan Birchfield is sitting on a goldmine.
He does not have much choice: his alluvial mining claim near Hokitika had to close down last week like most other businesses deemed nonessential.
Until the Covid19 emergency brought the economy to a shuddering halt, it was producing enough of the precious metal each week to pay the wage bill for nine employees and return a useful profit.
The gold needed to top up the pay packets this time does not look like a lot — a scant couple of teaspoons of tiny flecks. But smelted down it is worth about $5000. That’s $5000 the New Zealand economy did not have the week before.
Cleaning the golden flakes, turning them into molten metal, pouring the seething liquid into a mould and heading off to the bank to sort the wages, those are regular chores for Mr Birchfield.
The 70yearold has been a goldminer for 40 years, and also holds a quarter share in Birchfield Coal Mines.
‘‘The coalmines are still going — they’re classed an essential industry; the dairy factory runs on coal and if the supply stopped they’d have to shut down and tip out milk,’’ he said.
‘‘But I’ve got nine employees sitting at home who’d normally be out finding gold.’’
There is a case to be made, he said, for seeing gold recovery as essential.
‘‘We’re creating currency, and we surely need that right now. We need overseas funds, and it would seem like common sense to keep goldmines going.’’
Alluvial goldmining is done by large machinery these days, and could be done safely in the Covid19 emergency.
‘‘The employees go to work in separate vehicles; they work quite big distances apart on the claim and we could put safety protocols in place, just as the coalmines have.’’
He is philosophical about the restrictions.
‘‘I can understand the need for caution — we’ve had this first Covid19 death here on the Coast, and there are family connections with one of our councillors, and we all feel it.’’
Mr Birchfield hoped the Government would review its list of what was and what was not an essential service.
‘‘Goldmining is one industry that can be done safely in the current environment, and given the shock to the economy it needs all the help we can give it right now.’’