3-AD006.00 SOCIAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT WAIHI NORTH PROJECT Oceana Gold New Zealand Limited WSP June 2022 42 Impact Assessment SOCIAL UPLIFTMENT FROM INCREASED BUSINESS ACTIVITY AND INDIRECT EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES Phase: Construction and Operation Pre-Mitigation Assessment Post-Mitigation Assessment Extent Local and Regional Duration Medium term Magnitude Many affected Consequence Moderate Likelihood Likely Significance High (positive) 6.2.4 IMPACT ON BUSINESS RELIANCE ON MINING With mining being such an integral part of Waihi Town and the local area, the expansion of the mine represents the potential for deeper economic dependency and the postponement of economic diversity. If the proposed WNP represents an increase in dependency on mining, then the eventual closure of the mine will create challenges for the diversification of the local economy and employment retention. The extent to which businesses are reliant on mining related activities informs the level of business resilience to change and the overall stability of the community. The business survey of OGNZL’s existing suppliers confirmed that the majority of respondents (65.5%) are defined as small businesses, having 20 or less employees. From the group surveyed, reliance on the existing mine is limited, with the majority (66.2%) stating that only 1-10% of their business revenue is attributed to the presence of Waihi mining operations. When asked how resilient they believed their business was to mining operations potentially ceasing in 2037, a majority (63.7%) stated that their business was not dependent on mining and would continue largely unaffected. Most respondents (59.9%) either agreed or strongly agreed with the statement “Our business is well prepared for the eventual closure of mining in Waihi”. Almost all (92.6%) of the businesses that completed the business intercept survey had businesses with 10 or less employees. Like the suppliers’ survey, the majority of these businesses (71.4%) stated that just 0-10% of their business revenue was attributed to the presence of the Waihi mining operations. The majority of respondents (82.6%) stated that their business was not dependent on mining and would continue largely unaffected should mining cease in 2037. Just over 60% of the businesses surveyed either agreed or strongly agreed with the statement “our business is well prepared for the eventual closure of mining in Waihi”. The outcomes of the two business surveys are consistent with the 2019-2020 SIMP annual monitoring data which shows from an analysis of turnover estimates that only 2-3% of local businesses receive more than 50% of their revenue from OGNZL (Appendix B). Continued SIMP monitoring will be valuable to analyse trends and identify changes in respect of local business reliance on the mine.
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