The Hollywood heavyweight has been involved in the Central Otago wine industry since 1993 with his Two Paddocks vineyard.
He told the New Zealand Herald the proposed Santana Minerals $4.4 billion Bendigo-Ophir gold mine project in the area had him concerned.
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.
Neil said the government's push for fast-tracking of consents seemed "potentially dangerous" and named the Santana project.
“I have one venue that’s relatively close to that and so that concerns me and concerns a lot of people.
"I mean, if it’s legitimate and there’s no harm done, then fine, but fast-tracking is worrying me a lot,” he told the Herald.
The 76-year-old also shared a health update after being diagnosed with cancer in 2022.
“I’m very pleased to be alive. Things weren’t looking too good there for a bit.”
He was in remission and working shooting a new Netflix series Untamed in Vancouver.
