Over the last thirty years there has been enough drill core produced to stretch from Waihi to Coromandel Town three times. Only four mineable orebodies have been found. Drill rigs on the horizon do not necessarily mean a mine will be constructed.



above: An aerial view of a drill site in bush after the rig has been removed and the area restored by contouring the land and planting native seedlings.



above and below: A portable drill rig operating in pine forest on the Coromandel Peninsula.






above and below: You be the judge. This is the area described as a 'bomb site' with 'a boggy area littered with smashed vegetation and stumps'.



below: We are deliberately targetting harvested forest areas in some locations as there are existing roads and areas we can site drill rigs.






above: This is Schedule 4 land. As there is no vegetation clearing required , current legislation allows a drill rig to be sited here.


below: The restored playing field at Waihi East School. When the drilling rig was removed the area was contoured and resown.






above: A bush area is prepared for a heli-portable rig to be flown in. DoC will have approved the site and the removal of saplings. When the rig is removed DoC will supervise the restoration of the site.


below: Use of helicopters minimises land and vegetation disturbance.

Exploration 101
The Top 10 Myths about exploration drilling

Websites and social media currently have lots to say regarding the issue of exploration drilling on the Coromandel Peninsula. Mining and exploration companies state that their activities are carefully regulated, do not harm the environment, and are temporary. Opponents say that exploration drilling can cause water pollution, damage fragile ecosystems and habitats, the activity leaves visual scars in the bush that take years to heal, and that drilling now inevitably results in mining later.

What’s the real story? At Newmont Waihi Gold we have tried to engage with concerned groups and individuals on many occasions to tell our side of the story, but often with little success. Megaphones and placards may be good for getting media attention, but they don’t allow a conversation or an understanding of the issues. Instead, we thought we would try to address their concerns this way.

Myth #1. Newmont’s ultimate plan is to strip mine the peninsula and devastate the environment.
This myth isn’t really about exploration, but it’s a popular assumption that mining will follow the appearance of a drill rig. Over 300,000 metres of drill core have been produced on the Coromandel in the last thirty years. That has resulted in four new mines, at Golden Cross, Martha, Favona, and now Trio. The latter three are Newmont operations, and Favona and Trio are both underground.

To put this into perspective, that’s enough drill core to stretch from Waihi to Coromandel Town nearly three times. Most often, the results from an exploration drill rig will tell us ‘what’s not there rather than what is’. Even if something was found, it may be at too great a depth to be economic, it may not be possible to construct a mine in that area for environmental reasons, or there might just not be enough ore to warrant further development. Drill rigs on the horizon do not necessarily mean a mine will be constructed. Thirty years of experience in the business tells us that.

Yes, we are looking to find an ore body suitable for a mine. But we know that for every 1000 drilling programmes only one will result in an operating mine. We also know that if ever a new mine is sought there is a range of comprehensive environmental consents, requirements and conditions that will ensure the environment and the community are protected. The Resource Management Act is strict. Have a look at our operations in Waihi. We discharge clean treated water into the Ohinemuri River. We have planted over 450,000 native trees and shrubs. We contribute to local programmes such as DotterelWatch. Our community contributions are well documented. All we request is that the public judges us by what we do – by our track record over the last 24 years – not by slogans and sound bites.


Myth #2. Exploration drilling activities endanger the environment.
Yes, the rig may look as if it is discharging muddy water. Yes, there will be associated temporary earthworks or in the bush we may have cut down some saplings or small trees. If the rig is on Department of Conservation (DoC) land this is done in consultation with and under the supervision of DoC staff. The exact location is selected in consultation with DoC to minimise disturbance to vegetation and the ground surface. DoC staff may also determine that some native trees within the drill site area must remain untouched.

To find out about the ‘muddy water’ click here.

When the rig leaves the site the area is restored. On farmland this means the area is levelled out and resown with grass. In bush areas the area is recontoured and native trees and shrubs are planted. Sometimes manuka slash is laid over the top of the seedlings to protect them. On Conservation land our access agreement with DoC requires us to restore sites under the supervision of DoC staff or a recognised environmental consultant, the cost of which we pay for.

There is a photo (complete with GPS coordinates) on one activist website taken on a wet day in September 2010 which says that it shows the ‘impacts of drilling’ on ‘Newmont’s drilling site’. Here is what they say: ‘Newmont’s drilling area is like a bomb site. Native forest species have been clear-felled leaving a boggy area littered with smashed vegetation and stumps’.

The reality is that this is a site originally constructed nearly thirty years ago by another company. The Department of Conservation requested that as Newmont was using this old site to land helicopters we could assist by keeping it clear as a strategically placed landing site for future Search and Rescue missions. It’s not a Newmont drill site. It never has been. We did clear this old site for future use as a SAR helipad. Who knows when it may be needed by any one of the many people who regularly tramp, camp or hunt in this area? On the side of this page is a photo of the same location on a fine day. Except in specific instances such as this, our access agreement with DoC requires us to fully restore any helicopter landing sites, camps or drill sites on completion of operational use.

Recently, with the approval of the Board of Trustees, a drill rig was sited on a school playing field in Waihi. Payment was made to the school for the use of their facilities while the drill rig was on site. The students will soon be back playing on the same spot.

Exploration drilling operations do not endanger the environment. If they did we would not receive the necessary consents and approvals from all the different authorities to construct the site or to operate.

Myth #3. It’s a ‘war and a ‘battle’ that one ‘side’ must ‘win to ‘protect the environment and our heritage’.
We don’t think it is a ‘battle’, and from our point of view it’s not one ‘side’ vs. another, but we do think there should be clear winners: the environment, the economy, the people of Coromandel and the country. Most of the people who work at Newmont Waihi Gold are kiwis, the majority are locals. We live here too. Many of us have spent our lives here and intend to retire in this area. We stay here and choose to bring up our families here precisely because the Coromandel is a special place. We aren’t going to destroy our own back yard. What we will do is continue to explore for gold and work with communities to ensure the best possible outcomes for people and the peninsula. That means responsible development, local jobs and care for the environment. These are permanent year-round jobs that pay well.

We respect the significance of our region's conservation values to residents, absentee land owners, Iwi and New Zealand as a whole, and believe in turn that when people take the time to understand how mining operations work in the 21st century they will see that it is possible for mining and communities and the environment to exist together.

We are more than happy to talk with those who hold a different viewpoint, and we always have been, but we don’t see this as a contest to be ‘won’ or ‘lost’. We will not engage in ‘placards at 10 paces’, compete to see who has the best slogan, or manufacture contrived photo opportunities. We stand by our track record and we are more than happy to be judged on that. You don’t need to take our word for it. Our performance closely monitored by local, regional and national agencies.

Myth #4. Everything north of the ‘Green Line’ is protected from mining.
The 'Green Line' refers to all Conservation land north of the Kopu-Hikuai Road and the entire foreshore on the Coromandel Peninsula. All of this land is contained in Schedule 4. As such, the peninsula is open to underground mining now, or underground and surface mining on privately owned land. Activity on any land, regardless of its designation, would be subject to the requirements of the Resource Management Act.

When the 'Green Line' was put in place some environmental groups incorrectly claimed to have succeeded in banning all mining on the Coromandel Peninsula, with the exception of current operations such as in Waihi. This highly inaccurate claim has not been widely challenged and has proven to be the basis of much popular misunderstanding. The only restriction is the maximum four metres by four metres area that is allowed to be cleared.


Myth #5. Mining companies can’t access Schedule 4 land
This is incorrect. Mining and exploration companies can access Schedule 4 land as long as they only clear an area no bigger than 16 square metres (and meet all other relevant conditions and consents). That means we can prospect or explore as long as we don’t need to clear an area bigger than an average double bedroom. Not all Schedule 4 land is bush. Some is actually felled pine forest, criss-crossed by old forestry roads, tracks and clearings. If an area is already cleared we can set up and operate a drill rig.

How is it that some Schedule 4 land is harvested pine forest?

In 1997 the Crown Minerals Act (1991) was amended to specify areas of land administered by the Department of Conservation for which the Minister of Conservation could not enter into an access arrangement (other than for prospecting, exploration and underground mining involving no or very limited land clearance). The land identified for protection was listed in a new Schedule 4 added to the Act. At the time of the amendments no thorough assessment was undertaken of the differing classes and values of the conservation land included in Schedule 4. Therefore, on the Coromandel at least, there is pine forest, scrub, bush and farmland included in Schedule 4 land.

Under current legislation we can mine under Schedule 4 land as long as we access it from private land.


Myth #6. You can’t drill on Conservation Land.
With the approval of the Department of Conservation we can conduct exploration drilling activities on land administered by them. The Department must approve the site and our activities, and we must gain all other necessary approvals and consents from all other relevant parties.

Contrary to some claims, we are not interested in mining at Mount Moehau or prospecting at the Pinnacles. We won’t be mining in National Parks. We all understand that there are areas that should never be open to mining, but we also believe that not all Conservation land is of equal value. Some land included in the Conservation estate is of comparatively low value, for example harvested pine forest.


Myth #7. Newmont Waihi Gold is working in secret on the Coromandel Peninsula. You don’t want the public to know where you are or what you are doing.
Before an exploration drill rig goes anywhere we have to get a resource consent and a raft of approvals from local and regional authorities. We may also need to get approvals from the Department of Conservation or consult with Iwi. If we wish to work on private land we need the landowner’s or occupier’s consent. We also make every effort to let local ratepayer or community groups know of our plans. We have made no secret of where we are working. We have taken school groups and other visitors to some drill rig sites that are easily accessible. Far from being secretive, we go out of our way to let people know what we are doing. So far, most of our drill rigs have been located on private land or forestry blocks. All prospecting and exploration permits are listed on the Crown Minerals website.

Myth #8. There are security guards at drill rigs to keep people away so you must have something to hide.
We have reluctantly contracted local security companies to ensure the safety of our equipment, our staff and contractors, and that of the general public. We are more than willing to show members of the public how a drill rig works and explain what we are doing, but this is not the job of the staff from the drilling contractor. These workers are there to work on the drill rig. They are not able to complete their work and also keep an eye on some members of the public who have in the past tried to access the operational area. This is potentially dangerous for both contractors and the public. In addition we have recently had some attempts at vandalism and sabotage of equipment at drill sites. In one some worrying incidents, bent nails were scattered on the access road and water pipes were cut.

The security guard is there to make sure members of the public stay outside the operational area. In forestry areas we have had some people state that they ‘have a right to be there as it’s Crown land’. It may be Crown land, but it is under a forestry lease. Government departments such as Land Information New Zealand (LINZ) or forestry companies have the right to restrict access. The public are in fact trespassing, and when there are forestry operations underway they place themselves in danger.

Public access to conservation land is at the discretion of the Regional Conservator of the Department of Conservation (DoC). We are required by DoC to take all reasonable and practical steps to ensure the safety of the public. While we are drilling we restrict access to the operational area for obvious safety reasons. This is the same as a road works crew taping off an area of public road while they are working.


Myth #9. If we go to a drill rig we can find out what is really happening and get some information from the people who are working there.
Which is a bit like going to a big building site and asking the first guy you see with the wheelbarrow when the place will open. Our drillers are just that – drillers – not geologists. If you really want to find out what is going on contact us at Newmont Waihi Gold. We can arrange to get you up close in safety and explain what we are doing. Bring a camera and your questions. Our detractors will suggest that this is ‘spin’. We would suggest it is about talking to the right people if you really want the information.

Myth #10. You won’t tell us if you have found anything
Actually, we will. But we would prefer to do it in person so we can explain the technical stuff. All you need to do is contact us.