Supporting Technical Assessments

EGL Ref: 9215 23 June 2022 Page 2 This report shall only be read in its entirety. File: WAI-985-000-REP-LC-0002_Rev0.docx. containment of tailings;, minimise impacts on groundwater, receiving waters and landform; create rehabilitated landforms that will provide the opportunity for a net-gain in terms of biodiversity, minimise risk to people and property. To achieve these objectives requires a collaborative approach with input from a wide range of technical experts (geologists, hydrogeologists, hydrologists, geochemists, engineers), scientific experts (ecologists, biologists, dust and noise consultants), landscape architects and consultation with iwi. The aim is to meet obligations under the Resource Management Act, meet community and iwi expectations, and to design and construct structures that meet structural stability and durability requirements under the Building Act, and comply with company and international standards for tailings and rock storage. It is noted that early assessments of suitable options drove subsequent decisions around land acquisition and the Overseas Investment Act approvals processes and completion of land purchases that followed. These represent significant milestones in the project that would be difficult, highly uncertain and time-consuming to unwind and re-execute in the event of new land acquisition being required 2.0 WAIHI OPERATION LOCATION AND SITE DESCRIPTION 2.1. Location Waihi is a long-standing mining town in the Hauraki District. For over a century Waihi has been associated with gold mining. Waihi Township is located at the southern end of the Coromandel Peninsula and is within the area covered under the Hauraki District Council and Waikato Regional Council jurisdictions. By road it is 144 km southeast of Auckland, 68km northwest of Tauranga City and 21 km east of Paeroa Township. The existing Waihi gold operation is partly located in the township of Waihi around Martha Open Pit and partly to the southeast, accessed via SH2 and Baxter Road, where the two existing TSFs (Storage 1A and 2) are located. They are shown in Figure 1. FIGURE 1: LOCATION OF EXISTING TAILINGS STORAGE FACILITIES STORAGE 2 AND STORAGE 1A

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