| Introduction | Waihi North Project Air Discharge Assessment - Waihi Surface Facilities | 4396626-1331619777-99 | 16/06/2022 | 5 1 Introduction 1.1 Overview Oceana Gold (New Zealand) Limited (OGNZL) operates an open cut and underground gold mining operation at Waihi in the Waikato Region. The current Waihi life of mine plan (LoMP) is to cease production at the end of 2030. Ongoing exploration and mine optimisation have identified further mineral resources that can be economically recovered. The new activities, referred to as Waihi North Project (WNP) seek to extend the LoMP to at least 2036. The WNP includes the following interlinked elements: ● A new underground mine at Wharekirauponga (the Wharekirauponga Underground Mine (WUG)) with associated surface infrastructure to be located on farmland (owned by OGNZL) at Willows Road, and with underground access to the existing Processing Plant at Waihi ● A new open pit near the existing Processing Plant and centred over Gladstone Hill, the Gladstone Open Pit (GOP). This pit will be converted to a tailings storage facility (GOP TSF) after completion of mining ● A new tailings storage facility to the east of existing TSF1A, called TSF3 ● A new rock stack (called the Northern Rock Stack or NRS) at the current Northern Stockpile area adjacent to the existing TSF2 ● Upgrading of the existing WTP to double the water treatment capacity ● Reconsenting of the existing Water Treatment Plant (WTP) treated water discharge consents ● A temporary rock stack at Willows Road for the Wharekirauponga Mine, called the Willows Rock Stack (WRS) ● Modifications to the existing overland and load out conveyors to allow rock loading and conveying to the NRS and return of rock to the plant for backfilling underground. ● Upgrading the existing Processing Plant to enable ore processing up to 2.25 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) capacity, up from the 1.25 MTPA. This report provides an assessment of the potential effects of discharges to air from the proposed activities at the Waihi based components of the WNP referred to herein as the Waihi Facilities. A separate report has been prepared in respect of air discharges from the construction and operation of the proposed tunnels, underground mine and associated surface infrastructure at Willows Road1. The Project assumes the following relationships between the previously consented Project Martha, TSF1A and 2, WTP, and the WNP; ● Martha Underground will run in parallel with the WNP; ● Martha Open Pit 4 (MOP4) will be mined in parallel with the WNP; ● Continued treated water discharge under existing conditions; ● TSF1A is consented to 182mRL crest height; and ● TSF2 is consented to 160.7mRL The current discharges to air from the Processing Plant were described and the effects of the discharges assessed during the application process for the Golden Link Project Area in 20122. WNP includes the addition of a new Jaw Crusher, Semi-Autonomous Grinding (SAG) mill, a new Ball Mill, Pre-leach thickener, 1 Waihi North Project– Air Discharge Assessment – Wharekirauponga Underground Mine r (Beca, 2022); prepared for Oceana Gold (NZ) Ltd 2 Rolfe K “Newmont Waihi Gold: Air Quality Implications of Underground Mining in the Golden Link Project Area” March 2012.
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