3-AD006.00 ENGAGEMENT OUTCOMES PROPOSED WAIHI NORTH PROJECT OceanaGold New Zealand Limited WSP April 2022 43 GROUP SUMMARY OF ENGAGEMENT- POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE EFFECTS IDENTIFIED Waihi Community Resource Centre (WCRC) • The centre has a long history in Waihi. It was initially set up with a focus on employment but now it is more concerned with social services including social work and counselling. • The WCRC deals with the poorest sector of community; those in part time work and those who generally have a low income. Poverty is a big issue in Waihi (cultural poverty, social poverty, financial poverty). • Key issues in the community are family violence, drug and alcohol abuse and all the things that contribute to those issues, with the WCRC being part of a Waikato collective that deals with domestic violence. • Youth mental health is another key area of concern and the WCRC interfaces with primary schools and colleges to work with families where children are having behavioural and mental health issues. Jan notes there is a high incidence of anxiety in young children and teenagers with an increase of children not going to school, and that there are not many opportunities for school leavers in such a small town. • A high proportion of the local Māori population is struggling the most with health, education and finances. • Business community will welcome the project and contribute if there is a focus on creating a thriving and prosperous community. • She is concerned about a number of social implications with such a large influx of people coming into an area that is not well resourced. Housing is an issue (she acknowledged this is NZ wide), and noted that if you work in Waihi, you generally live in the area. She said you wouldn’t want to live too far away because, for example, relying on the Gorge Road to commute can be problematic as it is sometimes closed. • It was noted that Aucklanders sell up and come to Whangamatā and the Coromandel as the outdoor activities (walks, beaches) and attractive areas make it an appealing place to move. Those people can buy cheaper houses (than in Auckland) which in turn means that the availability of local houses diminishes and notes that the demand to purchase a house is quite high. More people are renting too but there are no more rentals going around. • There is definitely a group of people that would be available for upskilling and training, but work would need to be done as many of these people are coming from intergenerational families where there has been a reliance on benefits, so work ethic, self-discipline and getting up to do a job is an issue.
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