Santana Minerals has been exploring for gold in the Central Otago high country near the historic Bendigo reserve since 2020 and recently described promising results as the "most significant single gold discovery in New Zealand for four decades".
The Australian-listed company is completing feasibility studies and gaining approvals, while keeping a watch on the government’s Fast-track Approvals Bill.
Sustainable Tarras spokeswoman Suze Keith, of Wellington, said last week the group had made submissions on the Bill because the present wording did not contain enough environmental protections and it would do a "once over lightly" job.
A possibility of an open-cast mine was "a very, very big deal" for Tarras and there was no rush to build more goldmines when there were other infrastructure demands, such as housing, she said.
"We would warn Santana Minerals away from using the fast-track process because all that would do is undercut its opportunities to understand the flow-on effects from their proposal", she said.
"We would recommend they go through the proper Resource Management Act process so all issues could be properly explored and goes before a consenting panel. We would warn them off [the fast-track process] for their own good, as well as for the good of our community."
Ms Keith said the present resource management process provided developers with a "really good opportunity" to acknowledge community concerns.
In Tarras, that included the volume of earthworks, cyanide leaching, water use, roading, sustainable workforces, and aligning with values in the Tarras Community Plan.
Sustainable Tarras would also welcome transparent engagement and more information, she said.
Santana’s exploration programme is taking place on three high country stations, Bendigo, Ardour and Matakanui.
Santana is permitted, but has not started, to explore and drill the neighbouring Department of Conservation (Doc) estate.
Ms Keith said Doc’s input in the consenting process would be important.
"We would support Doc in stepping up but they are having funding cuts and the Fast-track Approvals Bill, as currently written, opens up Doc land to mining.
"That creates a precarious situation. That is why Santana Minerals should do the right thing.
"Otherwise, Doc won’t have the capacity to work at speed to prepare a really thorough environmental assessment.
"It will need a small army of us, if we are really are to get to grips with what the mine would mean", she said.
