Don’t mine under Waihi

A multinational mining corporation is planning to expand its exploitation of Waihi by literally digging under the town. It must be stopped.

OceanaGold, which owns the giant open cast pit mine in Waihi, has notified the local council that it wants to expand and mine under people’s homes.

Mining under residents houses will be a disaster for a town that has had years of disturbance from the mine activity. There have been landslides in the mine and earth slips causing homes to sink.

The uncertainty around the mine activity has affected house values and is wearing down the patience of residents.

This is the same corporate giant that tried to sue the El Savador government $300million for regulating to protect the environment.

It’s time we put people and our precious planet first and stop this giant private corporation undermining Waihi for its private profits.

The corporation plans to lodge consents to mine with the local council which will be pressured by financial interests to accept it.

With sustained public pressure against the company right now we can force the corporation to ditch its plans to dig under the town. Sign the petition to OceanaGold now to demand it withdraw plans now for their mine expansion.

References
OceanaGold proposes new underground mine at Waihi, 29 Mar 2018 http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12021586

Waihi homeowners close to deal over subsidence 2013 http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10857990

OceanaGold sues El Salvador https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/oct/03/australian-mining-is-poisoning-el-salvador-it-could-soon-send-it-broke-too

Map of Waihi gold mine: https://watchdog.org.nz/info/gold-mining-and-eden-park/