Published today by Samantha Gee of RNZ, after speaking with both Sams Creek Collective and Save Our Springs – Te Waikoropupū –
“An Australian mining company has sought formal permission to mine remote native bushland near Tākaka, despite growing opposition from Golden Bay residents.
In a recent statement to the ASX, Siren Gold, the parent company of Sams Creek Gold, said it lodged a mining permit with New Zealand Petroleum and Minerals on 21 March. As part of the permit, a scoping study was undertaken which included open pit and underground mine designs, a waste rock stack, tailings storage facility, processing plant and other infrastructure requirements.
Sams Creek Collective was formed last year in response to the community’s concern about the proposed gold mine and member Julie Downard said there was increasing opposition within the community, with many not keen to see a mine established. The recent scoping study indicated the plan was to have an open pit mine, tunnel entrance and processing plant near the Tākaka River, she said.
“It’s much, much worse than we thought. They’ve been very vocal about how they’re going to look after the community, but actually I think they’ve possibly chosen the worst place they could possibly site their operations.”
“The proposed site was at risk of being undermined in a flood and was in the deluge path of the Cobb Dam in the event of a major earthquake”.
Read the full story: Much, much worse than we thought
