History repeats as miners target Coromandel gold

Coromandel Watchdog is gearing up to fight a bid by Waihī goldmine proprietor Oceana Gold to open a new mine in a hill behind the tranquil beach settlement of Opoutere.

Spokesperson Augusta Macassey-Pickard says the work will bring a large number of trucks and workers into the area, as well as create environmental risks.

She says the exploration process allows no input from communities or tangata whenua, so protests are the only way to get their views across.

As someone who grew up in the Coromandel the situation feels like a return to earlier mining protests.

"So the confidence I have comes from growing up and seeing my family, my parents standing up against these big companies back in the 1980's saying 'No, we don't want you to come here and ruin our environment and our livelihoods and lifestyles,' and they won, those mining companies went away, so i know it can be done because I’ve seen it done," Ms Macassey-Pickard says.

Coromandel Watchdog is urging Government parties to honour their election pledges there be no new mining on conservation land.

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