3-AD006.00 SOCIAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT WAIHI NORTH PROJECT Oceana Gold New Zealand Limited WSP June 2022 8 3.3 SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT The social environment associated with the WNP is defined in Table 1. The SIA has focussed primarily on the social impacts that are likely to be experienced in Waihi and the local area, with reference to the regional and national context where relevant. Table 1: Social Environment of the WNP CONTEXT DESCRIPTION Waihi Town The Waihi community (or Waihi Town) is defined by the boundaries of the Waihi township using Statistical Area units which Statistics New Zealand use as their smallest geographic reporting level. Waihi Town is comprised of all Statistical Area 1 units that make up the Waihi Town area (Figure 5). This area incorporates the Waihi Gold Mine, the town centre and the adjacent residential areas. Local “Local” is defined by a 30km radius from the Waihi Town Centre (Figure 5). The local area is made up of Statistical Area 1 units that have 50% or more land that falls within a 30 km radius centred on Waihi Town (centroid at -37.38943130; 175.84423688) (Figure 5). A 30 km radius – or the area within 30 minutes’ driving time from the centre of Waihi Town – is particularly relevant when considering the local economic and employment catchment area associated with the Waihi Gold Mine. The vast majority of the mine workforce lives within 30 km of Waihi, and those business activities and services which support the mine operations within this area are considered by OGNZL to be local. It is considered unlikely that many community members would regularly travel beyond 30 km for community related services and facilities. The area within 30 km radius from Waihi Town includes the following: Waihi and Paeroa (within Hauraki District) Whangamata (within Thames-Coromandel District) Te Aroha, (within the Matamata-Piako District) Waihi Beach and Katikati, (within the Western Bay of Plenty District) The area beyond 30 km from the centre of Waihi Town is considered “regional”. Regional “Regional” is defined by regional council boundaries and focuses primarily on the Waikato Regional Council, with reference to the adjacent Bay of Plenty Region where relevant. The mine is strategically important in the regional context as it contributes to the economy and the wider community. The Waikato and Bay of Plenty Regional boundaries are illustrated in Figure 6. National New Zealand. The social environment described in Table 1 aligns well with the geographical areas defined within the existing SIMP. This provides both confirmation of a shared understanding of the social environment relevant to existing and proposed activities, and synergy in terms of existing and future SIMP monitoring.
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