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Our Deepdell North Stage Three Project at the Macraes Operation will unlock future development opportunities at the mine, extending its life by two years. The local community, iwi (Maori) and government contributed to the final design and helped improve biodiversity outcomes.

In late 2020, the Macraes Operation in the South Island of New Zealand consented (permitted) three projects that extended the life of the mine to at least 2028. One of these projects was the Deepdell North Stage Three Project, which expands the existing Deepdell Open Pit.

For the operation, extending the mine’s life means continuing to support jobs, partnerships and making a meaningful economic, social and environmental contribution.

The project includes extending the open pit and creating a new waste rock stack. In developing the project plans, the Macraes Operation hosted a series of meetings and site visits with representatives from the Macraes community, the Department of Conservation, iwi, and the Otago Regional and Waitaki District Councils.

The Macraes Operation’s Environment and Community Manager, Gavin Lee, said they investigated a range of designs to balance technical, social and environmental values.

“We worked methodically through the mitigation hierarchy with stakeholders. That starts with avoidance and ends with delivering positive social and environmental outcomes,” Gavin said.

“It’s not about choosing social or environmental values over commercial; we believe we have an operation that delivers both,” he said.

“We knew there was likely going to be differences of opinion when it came to our mine design and we wanted to understand those views early. In line with the Informed Consultation and Participation (ICP) principles, we hosted onsite meetings to bring the Councils, Department of Conservation and members of the local community. We provided an outline of our preliminary mine design and asked them to share their thoughts. It was a powerful experience as they weren’t just talking to us, they were talking to each other. We then had ongoing individual conversations to discuss potential issues and proposed mitigations.”

“As a result of the stakeholder feedback and analysis undertaken during this process, it became clear that the original preferred option had serious flaws and we needed to go back to the drawing board and redesign the waste rock stack at a much better location. This meant we would better-balance our overall impact and contribute to long-term social and ecological benefits to the region.”

“The final design allows for better water management and control of downstream water quality to avoid impacts to threatened flora and fauna species, habitats and heritage features. And its location ensures amenity impacts (such as noise) on the closest neighbour were minimised.”

To demonstrate no net loss of biodiversity (meaning, the biodiversity condition is as good, or better, as a result of mining), OceanaGold methodically stepped through the other elements of the mitigation hierarchy: minimise, restore, offset and compensate.

Some habitat clearing for the mine’s operations cannot be avoided, so the Macraes Environment and Community Team worked with the local farming community to identify appropriate locations for biodiversity offsets. With the help of ecologist, Mike Thorsen, from Ahika Limited, OceanaGold agreed with a local farmer to conserve an ephemeral wetland (a wetland that is wet only seasonally or in wet years).

“A farmer, an ecologist and a miner in a discussion sounds like the start of a bad joke, but we were able to establish benefits for each party,” Gavin said.

“Another aspect that cannot be avoided is impacts to lizard populations. This is inherently important for the Otago region, which is rich in biodiversity. The Macraes area is well is known for its vibrant landscape, including an abundant lizard habitat,” he said.

As part of the commitment to no net loss of lizard populations for the project, the team worked closely with the Department of Conservation and iwi to relocate two threatened lizard species. This was completed in early March 2021, and the team successfully relocated 1,200 Korero Geckos (found in the crevices of rocky tors – a large, freestanding rock outcrop) and 250 Southern Grass Skinks (which like to live in moist, grassy areas).

“We are doing more than just relocating the lizard populations. We are also re-establishing their habitat on our rehabilitated waste rock stacks and we are committed to helping the lizard populations thrive through a multifaceted 10-year research program,” Gavin said.

“As an industry, we are responsible for the legacy we leave for the communities in which we work, and that goes for all creatures – great and small,” he said.

Photos of the construction of rocky tors, providing lizard habitats as part of the progressive rehabilitation program at Macraes.

Mining is New Zealand’s most productive industry
Mining is New Zealand’s most productive industry
OceanaGold’s contribution to sustainable development at Waihi
OceanaGold’s contribution to sustainable development at Waihi
The Biggest Catch
The Biggest Catch

In the years since the reopening of the Haile Gold Mine in South Carolina, OceanaGold has found itself at the center of an economic renewal in the rural, historic region.

It has been nearly 200 years since gold was first discovered on the property of Captain Benjamin Haile in South Carolina. Today, OceanaGold’s modern day Haile Gold Mine carries on area’s long tradition of pouring gold using the very best state-of the-art and environmentally conscious technology and techniques.

OceanaGold celebrated the first gold pour at the modern Haile Gold Mine in 2017, starting a new chapter in the rich history of the region. Less than a year later, researchers with the prestigious Darla Moore School of Business at the University of South Carolina released a detailed analysis of the Mine’s socio-economic impact on the area, taking into account the anticipated life of the operation. The economic impact report concluded what local residents had been saying in recent years: the modern-day gold mine was breathing life back into an economically declining town.

Kershaw, South Carolina, has a population of around 2,400 and sits less than 6 miles from the processing operation at the mine. Although gold mining is part of the town’s history, its economic roots were in textiles. In the mid 1970’s, like in many other parts of the country, the textile industry began to close factories in the United States and move their operations overseas. Kershaw was not immune to the drastic economic shift, and the town’s residents soon found themselves out of work and forced to look elsewhere for jobs. The locally owned small businesses that once provided support to the community started to close, the houses and streets started to empty as families moved away, and the town itself seemed to grow quieter. For the following two decades, Kershaw would fight for its survival. Then in 2007, gold was rediscovered at Haile, and Kershaw was given a new chance at prosperity.

In 2021, with Haile Gold Mine at the heart of its economic renewal, Kershaw finds itself invigorated and looking brightly towards the future. With more than 800 people (including contractors) working at the 24-hour mining operation, families are moving back to the area, new businesses are opening up, and renewed hope for this small town has sprung forth.

The numbers back up this renewed sense of hope. According to the Economic Impact Analysis, the Haile Gold Mine generates US$87 million each year in positive economic impact to Lancaster County, where the mine is located. According to researchers, the US$87 million “figure reflects the dollar value representing all final goods and services produced in Lancaster County that can be attributed (either directly or indirectly) to the mine’s operations. This impact corresponds to 367 jobs and US$26 million in labor income that would not exist otherwise.”

“When expanding the analysis parameters to include the surrounding four-county region (Lancaster, Kershaw, York, and Richland counties), the economic impact of the Haile Gold Mine increases to $162 million annually – which is associated with 684 jobs and US$48 million in labor income.”

Widening that analysis to the state of South Carolina, researchers concluded the Haile operation generates US$191 million in positive economic impact each year.

That positive economic impact stems from significant investment in reopening the Haile Gold Mine. Since 2007, more than US$1 billion has been invested at Haile. In that same timeframe, the total payroll has topped US$200 million. That figure does not include the number of indirect jobs generated by the Haile Gold Mine which University of South Carolina researchers estimate is sizable.

According to the report, “Although the Great Recession that occurred from 2007 to 2009 caused massive employment losses in Lancaster and Kershaw counties, these counties also experienced zero positive employment gains during the five years leading up to 2007. By contrast, between 2009 and 2016, employment growth in both counties have consistently outpaced the statewide average. These major changes in employment patterns have been due in part to the economic activities associated with all exploration, permitting, and construction that has been taking place.”

The people holding these jobs are shopping at local stores, buying homes and revitalizing the area. That same influx of economic activity has continued during the past four years of commercial operation at Haile, including during the 2020 global pandemic. Now in 2021, the Haile team is looking ahead at the possibility of an expanded operation and additional investment.

OceanaGold has submitted an application to commence underground mining at Haile. If approved by federal and state regulators, underground mining would generate an additional 200 direct jobs on site and capital investment of US$110 million – further growing the Haile Gold Mine’s economic impact in the region and its significant place in history.

Macraes launches self-guided modern and historic mining tour
Macraes launches self-guided modern and historic mining tour
OceanaGold features in new World Gold Council documentary
OceanaGold features in new World Gold Council documentary
Mining is New Zealand’s most productive industry
Mining is New Zealand’s most productive industry

Listening to community perspectives is strengthening social performance at the Didipio Mine in the Philippines.

“When we listen, we can better understand how our operations affect people’s everyday lives. When we listen, we find opportunities to improve our operational performance and work collaboratively to contribute to positive change in our host communities.” That’s the driver for OceanaGold’s social performance team, led by Executive Vice President Sustainability, Sharon Flynn.

In 2020, OceanaGold piloted a Social Change Assessment framework at the Didipio Mine in the Philippines. The Corporate External Affairs and Social Performance team and the Didipio Mine Communications and Community Relations team worked with Filipino and international experts in community development and social impact assessment to design a process to uncover how social and economic change was happening at Didipio. The process mapped local dynamics and identified how the mine is driving change in that context.

The process brought together information and analysis from previous social baselines and impact assessments, publicly available data, household level ethnographies, interviews and focus groups.

Social Performance Advisor, Danielle Crawford, said the most important part of the Social Change Assessment was listening to people’s stories.

“The Didipio Mine operates in a complex political and social context and it was important for us to hear the communities’ views on how the mine is changing their lives – what they are happy with and what they want improved,” Danielle said.

“It’s also important to acknowledge the past and what the company could have done differently, because as we all know, when you know better, you do better. Knowledge is a corporate value and very much part of our culture at OceanaGold, and part of our duty of care to the communities we operate in,” she said.

“The Social Change Assessment identified gaps, challenges, and solutions with the aim of improving how OceanaGold is managing the effects of its operations in host communities, and how the company can improve its contribution to the communities’ long-term resilience.”

“For example, while the mine has provided jobs and business opportunities locally, the mine cannot employ everyone, and direct employment opportunities will diminish at closure, so we are working with local groups to strengthen programs focused on non-mining livelihoods such as agriculture.”

“The assessment provided an opportunity to collect honest – and sometimes confronting – feedback that recognised unresolved legacy issues and identified opportunities to enhance our approach”

“For example, how various companies – OceanaGold and previous developers – have accessed land rights over the last 23 years, has created distrust and frustration amongst the community. The Didipio team is working to reconstruct past land access processes to identify what happened and how the process has affected livelihoods today.”

The second phase of the Social Change Assessment involved land mapping. The Centre for Social Responsibility in Mining at the University of Queensland, and the Malaysian branch of the University of Nottingham, used publicly available landsat data to map how land use has changed over time. Land use change was then overlaid with increased infrastructure, local demographics, urban expansion and other social and economic data to get a clearer picture of how the mine has been a driver of change.

OceanaGold is currently working productively and collaboratively with key stakeholders to share the results of the assessment and implement new plans to better manage the mine’s local effects as soon as the operation’s Financial or Technical Assistance Agreement (FTAA) is renewed.

The Didipio Mine’s Community Relations and Development Manager, Nericel Langres, said the community participants involved in the assessment also gave feedback to the company on how it could improve its engagement overall.

“We recognise we need to shift from a prescriptive engagement approach to one that is more participatory and inclusive, with increased transparency, to better understand the views and perspectives of the community,” Nericel said.

“Long-term, the company’s objective is to gain sustained stakeholder support through wider benefit sharing, improved relationships with more inclusive engagement, work to resolve legacy issues, and fully integrating social impacts management into operations,” she said.

On the ground, Community Development and Management System Superintendent, Bonifacio Labatos Jr (known as Hero), coordinates social data analysis at the mine and has seen first-hand the benefits that responsible mining can bring to remote communities, and is eager to deliver strategies that provide long-lasting benefits.

“There is huge potential for Didipio to become a viable agri-tourism destination and of course, this will contribute significantly to the long-term food security for the region,” Hero said.

“We have worked in partnership with individual farmers and co-operatives and will continue to contribute to the long-term vision by supporting programs that build local capability and capacity,” he said.

“We have also partnered with the community to directly support education, health and sanitation, road infrastructure and livelihood opportunities. And we will strive to improve engagement and support for adjacent communities moving forward.”

Mining is New Zealand’s most productive industry
Mining is New Zealand’s most productive industry
OceanaGold’s contribution to sustainable development at Waihi
OceanaGold’s contribution to sustainable development at Waihi
The Biggest Catch
The Biggest Catch

As programs roll out internationally to vaccinate the world’s population against the COVID-19 virus, OceanaGold has released its position statement outlining its commitment to support governments’ keep communities protected.

As a responsible mining company, OceanaGold has released its position statement to support the global rollout of COVID-19 vaccines.

“We take our legal, ethical, moral and social responsibility extremely seriously,” said OceanaGold’s Health and Safety Manager Portia Weeks.

“We’ve had to act quickly to establish policies that keep our people – and the communities we work and live in – safe from the further-spread of COVID-19,” she said.

“This pandemic has not discriminated and has affected the lives and livelihoods of people around the world. As a company we will support our employees and stakeholders navigate widespread vaccination to establish herd immunity.”

OceanaGold has people and operations in six countries – the United States of America, New Zealand and the Philippines, where it has operating mines, and Australia, Canada and Singapore, where its offices are located – and is working with employees and governments to support vaccination programs that are equitable and accessible.

OceanaGold’s Executive Vice President, Sustainability, Sharon Flynn, said it was vital that effective and widespread vaccination programs were rolled out, to end the disruption and the damage to the global economy seen over the last 12 months.

“It will take all of us to end the loss of lives by working together with a truly risk-based approach, so the vulnerable groups are protected as a priority,” Sharon said.

The disparity between countries is quite considerable and it is our commitment to support the unique requirements of each government as they develop programs that meet the individual needs of their geographies and people,” she said.

“For example, in the Philippines the goal is for a ‘whole-of-society’ approach where the public and private sectors are coming together to deliver a unified and coordinated vaccination campaign. In the mining industry, a realignment of existing Social Development Management Programs and Safety and Health Program funds will assist remote communities access the vaccine. Programs like this directly align with our values and commitment to support equitable distribution.”

 

Mining is New Zealand’s most productive industry
Mining is New Zealand’s most productive industry
OceanaGold’s contribution to sustainable development at Waihi
OceanaGold’s contribution to sustainable development at Waihi
The Biggest Catch
The Biggest Catch

How OceanaGold will influence long-term community outcomes at Macraes

When gold was first discovered at ‘Macraes Flat’ by prospector James Crombie in 1862, it set off a series of gold rushes. Fast forward nearly 160 years, and the Macraes Operation – New Zealand’s largest active gold mine – produces between 140,000 and 150,000 ounces of gold annually.

The mine’s owner and operator, OceanaGold, is committed to the people and ecology that host its operation in the South Island, and that’s why they are undertaking a Social Change Assessment and driving continuous improvement.

We spoke to OceanaGold’s Macraes Operation Environment and Community Manager, Gavin Lee, and Social Performance Advisor, Danielle Crawford, about what the Social Change Assessment looks like, and how the company will use the data to inform their mining activities at Macraes into the future.

 Most of us have heard of a *Social Impact Assessment but what is a Social Change Assessment and are they common in the industry?

Gavin: It’s probably becoming more prevalent as the industry starts to look beyond how it can mitigate the potential issues associated with its operations and instead, considers how it plays a bigger role to influence positive outcomes. Full-scale modern mining at Macraes commenced in the early 1990s and over that time, Macraes has changed, Otago has changed, and certainly New Zealand has changed. As a large organisation that contributes significantly to the region’s economy, it’s important we keep abreast of those changes – demographics, policy direction, community need – they all drive our strategy moving forward.

Danielle: The Social Change Assessment has involved assessing and monitoring social changes over time – this means understanding the social and economic change happening in the Otago region, how the effects of the Macraes mine influence that change and community expectations for how the mine operates. This will help us identify what we can do better now and what we can do better in the future. For example, how we can better design our infrastructure, improve our operational policies and collaborate with communities and local government to support positive regional development, better design our infrastructure and operational procedures, to reduce the negative effects and seek benefits for the local community.

What do those benefits look like?

Gavin: One of the key influences mining can have on small communities is employment. OceanaGold is a major employer in the Otago region. The Social Change Assessment has looked at the impacts of employment on the local community – both now (during operations) and how we impact dependency impacts post mine closure. The data collected will help us plan how we continue to support the community long after we have gone.

Danielle: Another potential benefit is community partnerships as agents for positive economic or environmental change. A good example is our long-term partnership with Fish and Game New Zealand. We store fresh water about 18kms from the Macraes Operation which we pump to our Processing Plant for mineral processing. However, Fish and Game use the water to farm trout, and in turn, they distribute it across Otago. This is a great example of leveraging mine infrastructure to develop a partnership that supports recreation in the region.

Gavin: We are quite broad and innovative when considering where we can influence outcomes. We are the foundational sponsor for the Waitaki Whitestone Geo Park, which aims to showcase how the local geology interrelates with culture and history, business and gastronomy. Obviously, geology is a huge part of our core business and we can provide extensive education and resources, and in turn, play a role in boosting local tourism. We are also forming strong partnerships with local landowners and engaging in important discussions around integrated land use and conservation.

Why has OceanaGold undertaken this work?

Danielle: As a global mining company, we need to keep abreast of the changes happening around us. We’ve looked at where we operate and how we can use our expertise, influence and resources to achieve long-term, positive social and economic outcomes. In New Zealand, water, biodiversity and climate change are huge drivers for positive environmental change and as a global responsible miner, we are at the forefront of that thinking. 

Gavin: It’s about staying ahead of the game. Twenty years ago, the industry had a narrow view on how to manage social impacts and took purely a risk mitigation approach. For example, the machinery we use to mine an open pit might create some residual dust impacts to local residents, so how do we mitigate the dust…but really, the broader risk was around the issue gaining traction in the community and having the potential to stop works. That view only considers the operator or the project. We don’t think like that anymore – we can’t. The mining industry is always evolving. Today we approach risk mitigation with a broader, more opportunistic lens – it’s no longer just about risk to the project, it’s about risk to the community. In the same way you don’t mitigate safety issues because you are trying to reduce the cost of injury, you’re controlling a hazard to save lives and livelihoods.

What happens next?

Danielle: The Social Change Assessment was the first step in collecting extensive data about our influence and impact across the region, and New Zealand more broadly. The next step is to dig deeper to analyse and validate the findings, and we will involve the community in that process.

Gavin: This piece of work has allowed us to take a more systemic approach to managing and influencing our impact as we move ahead with plans to extend mine life at Macraes. We are part of the future in Otago, so it’s our responsibility to ensure our contribution leaves a positive legacy.

*A Social Impact Assessment is defined as: The process for the identification, analysis, assessment, management and monitoring of the potential social impacts of a project, both positive and negative

Mining is New Zealand’s most productive industry
Mining is New Zealand’s most productive industry
OceanaGold’s contribution to sustainable development at Waihi
OceanaGold’s contribution to sustainable development at Waihi
The Biggest Catch
The Biggest Catch

After years of research and testing, an innovative passive water treatment system is becoming a reality at the Reefton Restoration Project on the West Coast of New Zealand’s South Island.  

Construction is underway on an innovative passive water treatment system at the Reefton Restoration Project (formerly the Globe Progress Mine) to effectively manage the site’s water seepage.

When OceanaGold commenced closure at Reefton, the company committed to developing a water management solution that would exceed compliance requirements and continue to perform long after the site has been handed back.

The system – known as a Vertical Flow Reactor – removes heavy metals from water seepages before the water is gravity fed into Devil’s Creek. Although these metals (including iron and arsenic) exist naturally inside the rock, they could threaten the natural ecosystems if released at elevated levels.

The Vertical Flow Reactor has been designed specifically to meet OceanaGold’s high sustainability expectations for best practice mine closure. It’s the result of more than four years of research and trials – and spades of dedication – into effective, chemical-free water treatment solutions, and it has been the major focus of the Reefton Restoration Project’s Environmental Coordinator, Steph Hayton.

Steph dedicated her Master of Science towards the project, and with the help of her supervisors, the commitment and funding of OceanaGold, and support of specialist consultants, the project team turned an ambitious idea into reality.

“Our first discussion about possible passive water treatment solutions occurred as far back as 2015, when we started to think about closure and what we could do to prepare the site,” Steph said.

“In 2018 I started my Masters with a literature review and studied all the water treatment systems that have been used and tested globally. We then set up trials at Reefton with two of the most favourable systems – Bioreactors and a Vertical Flow Reactor,” she said.

“The trials ran over a two-year period and it became evident that the Vertical Flow Reactor worked exceedingly well – there was a noticeable difference in the hydraulic residence times (the time it takes for the water to move through the system), when compared to the Bioreactors. It showed removal rates of metals were high at relatively low residence times, and the captured solids proved to be more stable.”

Steph says the Vertical Flow Reactor has real potential to be utilised at other sites.

“Previously, we treated water through a Water Treatment Plant before discharging it offsite. This process is expensive, uses chemicals to perform the treatment process, and it’s labour intensive requiring extensive maintenance,” she said.

“Our solution using the Vertical Flow Reactor removes suspended metals from the water with little running cost, using gravity flows, and no added water treatment chemicals. It has been trialled extensively, with the final design developed to exceed compliance requirements and run as passively as possible.

“At OceanaGold, we have mine closure at the forefront of our minds, not only towards the end of a mine’s life, but during mining.

“The trials at Reefton have shown how important it is to test systems and learn what works at each site early to effectively develop closure plans. It’s so much more practical and reliable to use a passive system long-term.”

 What is the Vertical Flow Reactor?

The concept originated at Cardiff University, and was adapted by OceanaGold with help from the Verum Group and Mine Waste Management.

By oxygenating the water before it enters the Vertical Flow Reactor, the iron within the water comes out of solution, turning it into a reddish-brown colour. The iron particulate then gently settles on a gravel filter bed at the bottom of collection ponds.

Iron naturally attracts other metals, so it captures free-floating arsenic from the water. The water then continues its gravity fed course through the gravel bed and exits the system into the nearby Devil’s Creek. The solids are left behind in the collection pond, then removed and stored safely in a controlled storage area.

Over time, the metals will eventually be exhausted from the leachable area of the surrounding rock, and the ponds will continue to naturally spill into Devil’s Creek.

Mining is New Zealand’s most productive industry
Mining is New Zealand’s most productive industry
OceanaGold’s contribution to sustainable development at Waihi
OceanaGold’s contribution to sustainable development at Waihi
The Biggest Catch
The Biggest Catch

At OceanaGold, giving back is part of our DNA.

We often talk about responsible mining and sustainability being fundamental to the way we do business, but what does that look like in our day to day lives?

“We live and work in the communities that host our operations. We are part of the community and its critically important we get involved and build and maintain meaningful relationships,” said OceanaGold President and CEO Michael Holmes.

“We pride ourselves as being responsible miners and giving back to the community comes naturally to OceanaGold and our employees – it’s part of our culture,” he said.

2020 has been a challenging year for everyone. This year, OceanaGold has assisted communities through the global pandemic by donating time and goods and helping local economies by forming partnerships.

Let’s look at some of the ways OceanaGold and its employees have contributed to our host communities in 2020.

At our Waihi Operation in the North Island of New Zealand, a team of 30 volunteers established the Waihi Mines Recue Team and assist in emergency responses across the local community. The team has been involved in many rescues – of both the animal and human variety. During COVID-19, the volunteer team worked with the Waihi Salvation Army and local schools to deliver more than 240 essential food packages to families in need. They also raised over $20,000 for Leukaemia and Blood Cancer New Zealand in the Auckland Sky Tower Challenge.

In South Carolina in the United States where COVID-19 continues to be a challenge, our team (and their families) at the Haile Gold Mine dug deep to support the local community.

Jacob Clark, the nine-year-old son of Haile’s Senior Health, Safety & Security Training Coordinator, and member of Haile’s Mine Rescue Team, Russell Clark, helped to serve warm meals to elderly residents across Kershaw and Heath Springs. Other members of the Haile team made protective masks for the elderly and supported local nursing homes by supplying treats, games, art suppliers, greeting cards, murals, sidewalk art, stamps, and food and drink deliveries.

To continue supporting the community over the Christmas holiday period, the team organised two toy drives – the first with toys and donations for Samaritan’s Purse, and the second for the Mt Calvary Outreach Center, which serves hundreds of local Kershaw children. Santa and his elves (all part of Haile’s Mine Rescue Team) delivered the large pile of toys from under the Haile Family Christmas tree to the Depot for Mt Calvary’s “Drive-Thru” Holiday Christmas Party.

At the Didipio Mine in the Philippines, our team earmarked approximately PhP6-million Social Development Management Program funding to provide COVID-19 relief for the mine’s host and adjacent communities.  The team packed and distributed relief goods, including food and medical supplies, to almost 19,000 households in Didipio and adjacent barangays, and donated more than 4,300 face masks, 4,000 surgical masks, 80 gallons sanitising alcohol and other PPE such as goggles, full body coveralls, and disposable gloves.

“We are doing the best we can to support our partner communities as they address this health crisis and respond during this difficult time,” said Executive General Manager David Way.

Similar sentiment was felt by our team at the Macraes Operation in New Zealand’s South Island, who donated two unused respirator fit test kits to the Dunedin Hospital to help ensure frontline heath workers were properly protected.

IT Engineer Gerard Hyland took part in the ShieldsUpNZ movement – a crowdsourced stopgap initiative for PPE in the early phases of the pandemic – which involved members of the community helping to make shields for doctors and other health professionals using 3D printers. Gerard worked around the clock, producing 12 shields every 24 hours.

 

 

 

 

Mining is New Zealand’s most productive industry
Mining is New Zealand’s most productive industry
OceanaGold’s contribution to sustainable development at Waihi
OceanaGold’s contribution to sustainable development at Waihi
The Biggest Catch
The Biggest Catch

This article was published in the Mining Journal in December 2020: OceanaGold marks three decades of gold standard mining

For 30 years, OceanaGold has contributed to excellence in the mining industry by delivering innovative solutions, sustainable environmental and social outcomes and strong returns.

In 1990, OceanaGold poured its first gold bar at the Macraes operation in the South Island of New Zealand. Thirty years on, as it celebrates its anniversary, the miner is about to commence the development of three new projects at the Macraes Operation.

President and CEO, Michael Holmes, said 2020 has been a year unlike any other and that even though OceanaGold was celebrating its 30th anniversary amidst challenging times, the team’s drive, industry expertise and experience navigating market cycles guided the company forward.

“We have a strong and sustainable future ahead of us. Our organic growth pipeline represents decades of opportunities for our company and is one of the best in the gold industry,” Michael said.

“I’m most proud of our people. Our company is built on the passion, resilience, progressive thinking and expertise each member of the OceanaGold team brings to our world class operations every day.”

 OceanaGold currently operates the Waihi and Macraes operations in the North and South Islands of New Zealand, the Haile Gold Mine in South Carolina, USA, and the Didipio Mine in The Philippines.

New Zealand

With an initial mine life of seven years, Macraes has since gone on to be the lifeblood of the company and today, stands as New Zealand’s largest active gold producing mine, having produced over five million ounces of gold since that first pour. With consents received, work is starting on the new Golden Point Underground and additional open pit expansions.

The modern Globe Progress Mine near Reefton on the West Coast in the South Island of New Zealand opened in 2006 and just over 610,000 ounces of gold was mined from the open pit operation between 2007 and 2016. Now known as the Reefton Restoration Project, the site is a leading practice mine closure and rehabilitation project. Central to the project is the re-establishment of vital ecosystems in the new post-mining landscape.

The Waihi region in New Zealand’s North Island has a long history of discovery, development and successful production. When OceanaGold acquired the Waihi Operation in 2015, the company committed to extending the life of the mine, which was delivered with the start of the Martha Underground development in 2019. In July 2020, OceanaGold released the Waihi District Study, a Preliminary Economic Assessment that identified significant and exciting opportunities to expand the existing operation at Waihi and the potential for a new underground mine at Wharekirauponga to the north.

The Philippines

In 2006, OceanaGold acquired the Didipio Copper-Gold Project in the Philippines and developed it into a world class gold-copper operation. Early construction commenced in 2010 and commercial open pit operations began in 2013. In 2015 the operation transitioned from open pit to underground.

Over the years, OceanaGold has built partnerships with the communities, government and businesses that hosted and helped run the operation. Since commencing operations in 2013, over US$890 million has been invested in procurement, wages, training and education, payments to government, community development and environmental partnerships.

OceanaGold President and CEO, Michael Holmes, said Didipio is an example of how to deliver responsible and profitable mining that genuinely cares about shared benefits for people and the environment.

“To date, the team has achieved one of the best safety records globally and demonstrate how mining can contribute to skills development, job creation and livelihood opportunities for local communities. We are committed to rehire hundreds of workers and restart operations once the operation’s Financial or Technical Assistance Agreement is renewed – we are ready and waiting for that opportunity,” Michael said.

USA

In 2015, OceanaGold acquired the Haile Gold Mine in South Carolina, USA, and continued its development. The first gold from the modern Haile Gold Mine was poured in January 2017 and commercial production commenced in October that year.

In September 2020, OceanaGold announced the updated Haile Technical Report which demonstrates long-term value and significant organic growth opportunity for the operation, including the expansion of open pit mining and a new underground opportunity.

 A bright future ahead

OceanaGold continually explores new opportunities at each of its operations, with a focus on delivering stakeholder value, sustainability and contributing to the communities it works and lives in.

Looking to the future, OceanaGold’s President and CEO, Michael Holmes, said their most promising growth projects were now coming online, and this means building three new underground mines, expanding three open pits and continuing to explore the greater Waihi district.

“We believe the delivery of these projects translates to real value for current and prospective shareholders over the long-term. OceanaGold is a resilient and dynamic gold miner with a strong and sustainable future. Our organic growth pipeline is one of the best in the industry, representing decades of opportunity for our company, and my team and I look forward to delivering that value,” Michael said.

“We’re mining gold for a better future. While this year has had its challenges, we look forward to delivering enduring value through innovation, performance and sustainable growth,” he said.

Macraes launches self-guided modern and historic mining tour
Macraes launches self-guided modern and historic mining tour
OceanaGold features in new World Gold Council documentary
OceanaGold features in new World Gold Council documentary
Mining is New Zealand’s most productive industry
Mining is New Zealand’s most productive industry

Bees are producing a new manuka honey blend at the Reefton Restoration Project, with community and the environment the real winners

When the Buller District Council’s Socio-Economic Development Officer Rachel Fifield first stepped into Reefton’s Broadway Team Rooms and spotted a jar of the small town’s famed Browkins Honey, she had an idea.

OceanaGold – the global miner funding Rachel’s position for three years through the Reefton Restoration Project’s Socio-Economic Governance Fund – had planted a 250-hectare parcel of land with manuka and beech varieties to boost pollination of native species and increase biodiversity at the site. Rachel immediately saw the link.

“The local shop keeper pointed me to Oscar Brown, the founder and apiarist at Browkins, who’s partner happened to work out the back of the shop,” Rachel said.

“My job is to connect people and develop solutions that safeguard an economically diverse future for Reefton, post-mining,” she said.

“I thought, this is too good an opportunity to pass up: a small, local honey producer who could potentially expand his business through accessing this lush landscape at the Reefton Restoration project, which also met the Project’s environmental objectives. Gladly, both he and OceanaGold shared my enthusiasm.”

Browkins Honey, OceanaGold and the Reefton Visitor Centre have recently entered into a formal partnership through a Memorandum of Understanding to produce, bottle and sell the special manuka honey blend – aptly named ‘Reefton Gold’.

Browkins Honey has so far introduced around 50 hives to the site and will eventually sell the honey through the local I-site and West Coast markets, generating income and providing yet another diversified revenue stream to the region. With the new venture now up and running, Oscar Brown and his family plan to move closer to Reefton.

The Reefton Restoration Project’s Environmental & Restoration Coordinator Steph Hayton said the partnership was a win-win.

“The town of Reefton benefits from the introduction of a new, local family business and our site (the former Globe Progress Mine, now in the rehabilitation phase) is helped along by the pollination process of the bees,” she said.

Long-term, with the bee population doing its job, Reefton’s native species will self-generate and the site will return to its natural state much faster than it would have without the hives.

OceanaGold’s Environment Manager Kerry Watson said this is what responsible mine closure looked like.

“This initiative is community-focused at heart and such a clever, natural way to turn a post-mining landscape into productive land use, while improving biodiversity outcomes,” he said.

Mining is New Zealand’s most productive industry
Mining is New Zealand’s most productive industry
OceanaGold’s contribution to sustainable development at Waihi
OceanaGold’s contribution to sustainable development at Waihi
The Biggest Catch
The Biggest Catch

This article was published in the Mining Journal in November 2020: OceanaGold commits to net zero emissions by 2050

Last week global mining company OceanaGold made a commitment to immediate climate action, releasing a new statement of position on climate change that sets a net zero operational greenhouse emissions goal by 2050.

According to S&P Global, nearly 1.0 tonnes of CO2e (carbon dioxide equivalent) was emitted per ounce of gold produced globally in 2019[1], so it comes as no surprise that climate change has become a critical focus for the gold mining industry.

OceanaGold is already on track to reduce its carbon footprint. At 0.53 tonnes of CO2e per ounce of gold produced in 2019, OceanaGold’s emissions are much lower than the global average.

With increasing concerns about the industry’s impact on climate change and a growing environmental and social governance (ESG) focus from investors around the world, many organisations are planning for a just process to move to a net zero economy and society.

Climate change also presents a financial risk to the global economy. The Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) provides a framework to help organisations effectively report on climate risk, becoming the benchmark for ESG reporting on climate risk management and performance.

OceanaGold has established a roadmap of strategic actions to help reduce the company’s carbon footprint and improve energy management, including:

  • Setting the goal to achieve net zero GHG emissions by 2050
  • Establishing milestone interim emission targets by the end of 2021
  • Establishing a climate change Technical Coordinating Committee to identify opportunities to reduce GHG emission intensity, and identify risks, opportunities, priorities and associated costs
  • Undertaking climate change management and reporting to meet the requirements of the TCFD.

Setting the foundation

OceanaGold has a solid understanding of its current carbon emission and is a low greenhouse gas (GHG) emitter compared to the global gold mining average. 

Michael Holmes, President and Chief Executive Officer at OceanaGold said the company had been deeply committed to responsible mining for 30 years and was proud to be taking action to manage its carbon footprint.

“There is a long way to go, and our journey to net zero emissions won’t be linear. It will vary depending on production cycles, national infrastructure constraints and company growth opportunities,” Michael said.

OceanaGold aims to achieve the carbon reduction goal through the implementation of four key strategic areas:

  1. Improved energy efficiency and energy reduction
  2. Decarbonisation of electrical energy supply
  3. Decarbonisation of mobile equipment fuel
  4. Carbon sequestration.

“Deliberate and timely implementation of the four key carbon reduction strategies can reduce GHG emission intensity in line with OceanaGold’s goal and targets,” Michael said.

Macraes, a journey to a low-emissions gold mine

At the Macraes mine on the South Island of New Zealand, OceanaGold has already started scoping what a possible net zero carbon mine looks like.

Matthew Hine, General Manager for the Macraes Operation said this included the opportunity to implement a partial conversion of its fleet to electricity and biodiesel, and offset carbon dioxide emissions by increasing forestry offsets.

“Electrifying some of the mining fleet and blending biodiesel into the existing diesel consumption would reduce Scope 1 emissions by as much as 43 per cent” Matthew said.

“Macraes has partnered with the New Zealand Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority (EECA) to bring on an Energy Engineer who will work with us to integrate renewables and identify opportunities to continuously reduce our environmental impact,” he said.

 Looking to the future

Setting a goal is only the first step. OceanaGold will now turn its focus to implementing the recommendations of the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) and set clear actions and activities for the future.

Michael Holmes, President and Chief Executive Officer at OceanaGold said since 2018, OceanaGold had been implementing a company-wide program of automation, digital and process transformation called ADaPT, which was helping the company define its journey to operate the mines of the future.

“Digital transformation presents an industry-wide opportunity to enhance performance and reduce impact. Our commitment for 2020 was to develop strategies to mitigate the risks associated with climate change and establish measures and targets to improve the efficiency of our energy use and to minimise our greenhouse gas emissions intensity,” Michael said.

“A central part of the industry’s commitment to reducing its impact on climate is technology, this is where the opportunity lies. Rapid advances in technology innovation, including automation, digitisation and electrification are central to the mining industry’s commitment to reducing its environmental impact,” he said.

Mining is New Zealand’s most productive industry
Mining is New Zealand’s most productive industry
OceanaGold’s contribution to sustainable development at Waihi
OceanaGold’s contribution to sustainable development at Waihi
The Biggest Catch
The Biggest Catch

Marking OceanaGold’s 30-year anniversary and a future full of opportunity

Today marks a milestone. It’s 30 years since we poured our first gold bar at the Macraes Operation in New Zealand.

For 30 years, we contributed to excellence in our industry by delivering innovative solutions, sustainable environmental and social outcomes and strong returns.

Back in November 1990, the company was called Macraes Mining Company Ltd and the operation had a mine life of seven years. Macraes has since gone on to be the lifeblood of the company and today, stands as New Zealand’s largest active gold producing mine, having produced over five million ounces of gold since that first pour.

Over the last 30 days we have celebrated ‘Our Journey to 30’, taking a trip down memory lane to look back at our history and the stories that shaped our culture and make us the company we are today.

We’ve celebrated the backbone of our company – our people – and the opportunities that shaped us to be a modern, high-performing and responsible miner.

President and CEO, Michael Holmes, said 2020 has been a year unlike any other and that even though OceanaGold was celebrating our 30th amidst challenging times, the team’s  drive, industry expertise and experience navigating market cycles guided the company forward.

“We have a strong and sustainable future ahead of us. Our organic growth pipeline represents decades of opportunities for our company and is one of the best in the gold industry,” Michael said.

“I’m most proud of our people. Our company is built on the passion, resilience, progressive thinking and expertise each member of the OceanaGold team brings to our world class operations every day,” he said.

Looking back

At our Waihi and Macraes Operations in New Zealand and at the Haile Gold Mine in the United States, mining spans centuries.

Our Haile Gold Mine is the oldest and longest-operating mine in North America – pre-dating the Californian gold rush by a generation. Gold was first discovered in the region in 1827, in a stream on the property of Captain Benjamin Haile. Mining started two years later and the mine was already 60 years old when the neighbouring town of Kershaw was established. Between 1829–1993 the Haile Mine produced over 360,000 ounces of gold. We poured the first gold from the modern Haile Gold Mine in January 2017 and the current life of mine extends to 2031+.

James Crombie, a local prospector, first discovered alluvial gold in Deepdell Creek in 1862, starting a gold rush in the Macraes region. The first ore body worked at Macraes Flat was the Duke of Edinburgh in 1875. The Golden Point mine opened in 1889 and was a significant and successful scheelite (tungsten) and gold producer. The Macraes Operation continues to have an extraordinary journey of efficiency and adaptation. The operation’s success stems from the high level of expertise and innovation of its employees – an integral aspect since its modern beginnings in 1990.

At Waihi, John McCombie and Robert Lee discovered gold on Pukewa, also known as Martha Hill, in 1878. Underground mining commenced a year later and by 1882 the first stamper battery was in operation. The original underground Martha Mine closed in 1952. For 70 years the mine employed a workforce averaging 600 people, extended to a depth of 600 metres, and produced 5.6 million ounces of gold and 38.4 million ounces of silver. We acquired the Waihi Operation in 2015 and current mine life extends to 2036+.

While some of our operations are much older than our company, we are proud of the history and legacy of each.

A modern mining era

After starting as Macraes Mining Company Ltd in 1990, we acquired the Reefton Goldfield in New Zealand in 1991. The modern Globe Progress Mine opened in 2006 and just over 610,000 ounces of gold was mined from the open pit operation between 2007 and 2016. Now known as the Reefton Restoration Project, the site is a leading-practice mine closure and rehabilitation project. Central to the project is the re-establishment of vital ecosystems in the new post-mining landscape.

OceanaGold Ltd. was established in 2003 and is listed under “OGC” on the Australian and Toronto Stock Exchanges. Throughout our history we have proudly advanced  knowledge in our field and delivered award-winning initiatives driven by a commitment to social, economic, operational, and environmental sustainability.

In 2006 we acquired the Didipio Copper-Gold Project in the Philippines and developed it into a truly world class gold-copper operation. Early construction commenced in 2010 and commercial open pit operations began in 2013. In 2015 the operation transitioned from open pit to underground and in 2018 we commissioned the first ever paste plant in the Philippines,  which meant underground workings could be safely backfilled after mining activities were completed.

In addition to technical innovation at Didipio, we built partnerships with the communities, government and businesses that hosted and helped us run the operation. Since commencing operations in 2013, we have invested over US$890 million in procurement, wages, training and education, payments to government, community development and environmental partnerships.

While restrictions on the operation have meant we’re not operating the Didipio Mine right now, it’s an excellent gold and copper producing asset, with an outstanding workforce and best practice standards.

OceanaGold President and CEO, Michael Holmes, said Didipio is an example of how to deliver responsible and profitable mining that genuinely cares about shared benefits for people and the environment in the Philippines.

“To date, the team has achieved one of the best safety records globally and represents how mining can contribute to skills development, job creation and livelihood opportunities for local communities. We are committed to rehire hundreds of workers and restart operations once the Financial or Technical Assistance Agreement (FTAA) is renewed – we are ready and waiting for that opportunity,” Michael said.

In 2015 we acquired the Haile Gold Mine and continued its development. We poured the first gold from the modern Haile Gold Mine in January 2017 and commercial production commenced in October that year. In September 2020, we announced the updated Haile Technical Report which demonstrates long-term value and significant organic growth opportunity for the operation, including the expansion of open pit mining and a new underground opportunity.

The Waihi region has a history of discovery, development and successful production. When we acquired the Waihi Operation in 2015, we committed to extending the life of the mine and we were pleased to deliver on that commitment with the commencement of the Martha underground mine development in 2019. In July 2020 we released the Waihi District Study, a Preliminary Economic Assessment that identified significant and exciting opportunities to expand the existing operation at Waihi and the potential for a new underground mine at Wharekirauponga to the north.

Built by great people

Over the last 30 days we have also celebrated the people who have contributed to our success along the way.

From our Chief Development Officer, Mark Cadzow, who joined us as a metallurgist at Macraes in 1990 and has grown with our company; to Oliver Donato, who started his career as one of our scholars in the Philippines and, in 2019, was awarded as the Outstanding Pollution Control Officer of the Pollution Control Association of the Philippines.

From Colin Purcell and Lorrance Torkler, who have both worked at our Waihi Operation for over 30 years and have a deep understanding of the mine’s operations and geology; to David Thomas, who has built a proud legacy and close community relationships at our Haile Gold Mine; and Ken Thomas who has contributed to our Macraes Operation for over 25 years after starting as one of the mine’s first operators.

These are just a few of the stories of the incredible people who work, and have worked, at OceanaGold and you’ll find many more stories on our people and careers blog.

 Looking ahead

We’re mining gold for a better future. While this year has had its challenges, we’re a resilient and dynamic gold miner, trusted to deliver enduring value through innovation, performance and sustainable growth.

Driven by our values, we continue to explore new opportunities at each of our operations, with a focus on sustainability and contributing to the communities we work and live in.

In New Zealand, we are delivering best practice mine rehabilitation at our Reefton Restoration Project. Following progressive rehabilitation of the site throughout the life of the mine, we are undertaking innovative planting, capping and water treatment projects and are also focused on supporting a sustainable future for the town of Reefton.

Further south at the Macraes Operation we’ve extended the mine life at the operation and see many additional opportunities ahead. Development of a new underground project, the Golden Point Underground, and extensions to Deepdell Open Pit and Frasers Open Pit – will extend the mine life at the operation to 2028.

When talking about the Macraes Operation, General Manager, Matthew Hine, said: “From an initial mine life of seven years, our desire to always keep improving has seen us become an operation, and company, that’s celebrated on the world stage. We know who we are, what we represent, how we want to treat each other and how we want to mine. With a commitment to always improve and a great leadership team, we have an exciting future ahead of us.”

In the North Island of New Zealand at the Waihi Operation, the Martha Underground is on track for first production in the second quarter of 2021. We’ve commenced consultation and engagement around the Project Quattro and Wharekirauponga opportunities and continue our exploration and resource conversion program.

When talking about the exciting opportunities ahead of us at the Waihi Operation, Acting General Manager, Daniel Calderwood said: “We’re in a very busy period of the mine’s life. The best is yet to come, here at Waihi, and for OceanaGold. The team here at Waihi are excited for the future and to see Waihi continue to prosper as we develop our projects here, and to the north at Wharekirauponga.”

Over the next two years we will employ an additional 200 people at the Haile Gold Mine in the United States as we continue to enhance the performance of this relatively young mine, expand our open pit operations and develop the Haile Underground Project in early to mid-2021.

When talking about what’s next at our Haile Gold Mine, Executive General Manager, Jim Whittaker said: “It never gets old, watching the sun rise over this mine. Every day it’s a reminder of the bright future and golden opportunity laying ahead, and below, for Haile Gold Mine. We’re building on a long legacy of gold mining in the south, and it’s an exciting time to be here.”

We’re proud to be celebrating 30 years of people and performance at OceanaGold and we look forward to the next 30 years. In 2021 we start a new chapter in the company’s life, as we deliver our exciting organic growth opportunities, under our responsible mining framework, and what it means to work the OceanaGold way.

Macraes launches self-guided modern and historic mining tour
Macraes launches self-guided modern and historic mining tour
OceanaGold features in new World Gold Council documentary
OceanaGold features in new World Gold Council documentary
Mining is New Zealand’s most productive industry
Mining is New Zealand’s most productive industry

How local community is shaping post-mining Reefton

Standing at the launch of the newly named ‘Golden Globe Theatre’ at the Reefton i-SITE Visitor Centre in early September 2020, local Socio-Economic Development Officer Rachel Fifield is among good company. Company that is as equally invested in the popular local attraction – and in other reinvigoration initiatives – as she is.

Rachel is responsible for supporting projects focused on creating an economically sustainable future for the small town, which up until 2016 when the Globe Progress Mine closed, has been mining its goldfields since the mid-1800s.

It’s no small feat, but only eight months into the role and Rachel is making significant headway.

It’s taken the right person, with vision and creativity, and an open, relationship-based approach to work productively alongside so many and varied stakeholders. Included is her employer, the Buller District Council, and global miner OceanaGold, which is funding her role for three years. And of course, there’s the local community who are, arguably, the most heavily invested in Reefton’s future.

Originally from Nelson, Rachel uprooted in 2018 and moved 2.5 hours south to Reefton. At the beginning of 2020 she participated in a ‘social experiment’ of sorts: to work alongside community, Council and OceanaGold to ensure the legacy left at the former mine (now called the Reefton Restoration Project) met community expectations.

“During production, mining companies naturally invest in the local economy by moving entire operations to town. They employ its people and use local contractors and suppliers…so when mining stops, ethically, you can’t just leave. You would leave a gaping hole, not only in the ground, but in the local market,” Rachel said.

“There’s a moral obligation – especially in small towns like Reefton – for that investment to continue, but we need look beyond direct employment and develop solutions that safeguard a more economically diverse future.”

And that is part of OceanaGold’s vision for Reefton and part of its commitment to sustainability.

“While equally as important, mine closure is not just about environmental rehabilitation and restoration,” Rachel said.

“Sustainable outcomes don’t end when mining stops, so my role is to work with the community to ensure their input shapes the future of Reefton. A big focus of my role and OceanaGold is to ensure the community is economically sustainable.”

“We have established an Economic Diversification Governance Board – with representatives from across local government, iwi, OceanaGold, business and the community – to facilitate and govern the funds provided by the company to ensure the town thrives long after it leaves.”

The Reefton i-Site’s ‘Golden Globe Theatre’ has been once such project. Employing two permanent and two casual staff, the centre provides the new boutique theatre and a unique, underground mining experience for visitors.

“Tourism is important to Reefton, but not only that, the i-Site captures and protects the town’s long mining history dating back to the 19th century.”

There have been other wins along the way where Rachel has linked community members to opportunities that help secure their futures. From travel funding grants for the local netball team, to new employment opportunities for people affected by recent COVID job losses, to expanding a local bee-keeper’s small business by linking him to OceanaGold’s extensive manuka varieties at Reefton.

Humbly, she explains: “My role is to connect people to the right resource, or person, so they can achieve their goals.”

It sounds simple, yet Rachel, who also runs a design studio in the heart of town and sits on the Inangahua Community Board, is consumed (happily) by community dropping in to share their ideas to secure the town’s future.

“Reefton is such a tight-knit community, which I’m so proud to now be a part of. You can see there’s a real energy in town because they have someone dedicated to helping them…OceanaGold made this possible.

“And yes, we’ve ticked off some of the initial projects, but this role hasn’t been done before and there’s so much scope to ensure we make a huge difference in the three years I’m employed.

“Together – Buller District Council, OceanaGold and the local community – we are truly paving the way for what’s possible in small towns after mining ends.

“I love Reefton and I’ve set myself some pretty big goals. Watch this space.”

Mining is New Zealand’s most productive industry
Mining is New Zealand’s most productive industry
OceanaGold’s contribution to sustainable development at Waihi
OceanaGold’s contribution to sustainable development at Waihi
The Biggest Catch
The Biggest Catch

Buller District Council, the Inangahua Community Board, OceanaGold and three Reefton schools joined forces recently to plant trees along the Inangahua River, as part of the Strand Revitalisation Project in Reefton on the South Island of New Zealand.

Reefton Early Learning Centre, Sacred Heart School and Reefton Area School are all Enviroschools. There are over 1,300 Enviroschools around New Zealand, participating in an environmental action-based programme where young people are empowered to design and lead sustainability projects in their schools, neighbourhoods and country. Buller District Council is an Enviroschools regional partner.

OceanaGold’s Reefton Restoration Project donated 150 manuka and 50 beech trees to the Strand Project. The balance of the 400 trees planted were funded from the Buller District Council Community-led Revitalisation funding given to the Strand Revitalisation Project.

Each school was responsible for a different area. Sacred Heart planted on the Rosstown Road side, students from Reefton Early Learning Centre looked after the Lower Strand side and students from Reefton Area School planted the area behind the swimming pool and beside the look-out pier.

Earlier in the month Reefton Restoration Project staff had partnered with students at Sacred Heart School to plant seedlings on the school grounds, while in September they gave a tree seedling to each person who attended the opening of the Golden Globe Theatre at the Reefton Visitor Centre as a reminder of the event.

Reefton Restoration Project Environmental & Restoration Coordinator Steph Hayton said that OceanaGold had planted over 700,000 native seedlings at the mine site, with plans for at least another 200,000 by the end of 2022.

“It’s great to share some of the beautiful native trees we plant onsite with the community through planting initiatives. At the end of the day are all working towards the same goal, a resilient and sustainable environment,” Steph said.

Mining is New Zealand’s most productive industry
Mining is New Zealand’s most productive industry
OceanaGold’s contribution to sustainable development at Waihi
OceanaGold’s contribution to sustainable development at Waihi
The Biggest Catch
The Biggest Catch

Investing in the long game at Reefton

Environmental and Restoration Technician Megan Williams is a woman on a mission.

She’s part of OceanaGold’s team at the Reefton Restoration Project – the site of the former Globe Progress Mine – collecting and reporting on thousands of water samples and huge amounts of monitoring data, day after day, year after year, to give back the rehabilitated land on completion of the Project.

“There’s no second chances when you’re closing a mine – you have to get it right. We owe it to the environment and to the community to restore this beautiful landscape to the best of our ability,” Megan said.

“I love working with people and a company that share these values and beliefs.”

And that’s what has kept Megan going since starting at OceanaGold in 2017. That, and the fact she is growing her skills every day by learning from experts in Reefton’s environmental team.

“Some parts of my job, such as surveying, would normally be outsourced to contractors, but at OceanaGold there’s a real desire to upskill in-house and build our capacity and knowledge for the broader industry.

“Being in the early part of my career, that’s an enormous opportunity for me.”

Megan refers to her role as the ‘eyes and ears’ on the ground at Reefton. She spends most of her time in the field keeping track of progress, sampling, completing monitoring tasks and providing data to the team and consultants.

Living locally and working on site over the past three years, there’s not one square inch of the Project’s 260-hectares she isn’t familiar with.

Her role involves tagging and measuring trees as part of the Project’s rehabilitation and replanting program. Given OceanaGold plans to plant approximately 1 million native species across the site, that is no mean feat.

In addition to replanting, reshaping is underway to ensure the natural environment is restored and visually integrated into the surrounding landscape.

Megan says: “The team on site has been working with consultants to design the Project’s proposed passive water treatment system, which was chosen through a research project that I was heavily involved in. We have also been busy developing an engineered treatment wetland system at Fossickers Lake (the former Tailings Storage Facility).”

“We have developed a low maintenance, passive system which treats onsite water using gravel as a filter and gravity flows – not chemicals – before being discharged into the river system.

“This has involved a significant investment by the company during trials and developing techniques for long-term solutions.

“That’s testament to OceanaGold’s commitment to restoration and closure. It’s so refreshing to work for an organisation that puts an enormous amount of trust into its operations’ experts.”

Apart from her day-to-day environmental role, Megan and the team directly engage with stakeholders by hosting events such as planting days with local schools, and site tours that provide an opportunity for the community to see first-hand the progress being made.

“Reefton is a small and closely-connected community. So many locals have either worked on the mine or have had relatives that did. Mining is a big part of the culture and history here.

“It’s part of my job to educate and inform the community about what the closure process involves, and it’s important to take them on the journey. When I take them on site tours, people are often so pleasantly surprised to see what the former mine looks like now.

“For example, Fossicker’s Lake attracts native bird life…you can see we’ve got a new ecosystem establishing and it’s incredibly rewarding to be a part of it.

“One day, when people come to the site, I hope they will be able to appreciate the rehabilitation work and enjoy the area as much as I do.

“More than anything, I hope people will look at Reefton and say it was a world-class example of mine closure. And that mining and the environment can co-exist when there’s investment in people and technologies to get it right from the outset.”

Employee testimonial: Grow with us
Employee testimonial: Grow with us
Meet our team – Emily Stephens, Haile Gold Mine
Meet our team – Emily Stephens, Haile Gold Mine
We call Waihi home
We call Waihi home

In late 2019 the Waitaki District Council moved to register the Waitaki Whitestone Geopark under the UNSECO geopark program.

The geopark registration is focused around geology, education and culture and brings those three aspects together to celebrate the uniqueness of the Waitaki geological region.

The proposed geopark will encompass the entire Waitaki District, including the fossils of Vanished World and the OceanaGold Macraes Operation. The Macraes Mine sits in the southern section of the proposed Geopark and offers a fantastic opportunity for educating the community (and tourists) on geology and how mining can be conducted in a responsible manner.

To oversee the development of the geopark and undertake the bid for the UNESCO registration, a WWG Trust was established in August 2018 with the Macraes Operation as a founding partner.

The Macraes Operation is a fantastic example of the geology of the district, hence why the mine has the potential to become a focus for the geopark, and to support significant development at a regional scale. Gerard Quinn, Regional Development Manager at Waitaki District Council has said, “We recognise that a sustainable economy will still need extraction of resources from the earth. Aside for the direct use of these natural resources, if land is used in a sustainable manner it will also provide benefits in the terms of employment and other economic and social opportunities. This is why the Trust is very happy to have OceanaGold as a founding partner.”

This opportunity aligns with the environment and community values OceanaGold is focused on achieving and represents the mine’s intention to support the local and wider community into the future.

The WWG will increase tourism in the region and provide an opportunity to increase geological education in the community.

Mining is New Zealand’s most productive industry
Mining is New Zealand’s most productive industry
OceanaGold’s contribution to sustainable development at Waihi
OceanaGold’s contribution to sustainable development at Waihi
The Biggest Catch
The Biggest Catch

Richard Ozga
Commercial Manager | Melbourne, Australia

“Our culture and organisational values are what attracted me to OceanaGold and they keep me driven, accountable and motivated to support the organisation in achieving its strategic objectives. We are pragmatic and agile and take our obligations as a responsible mining company incredibly seriously.”

Born on the Zambian copper belt and relocating to Poland as a child, Richard Ozga immigrated to Australia in the late 1980s where he and his family settled in Kambalda, in the heart of the Western Australian goldfields.

With a mining engineer father, whose job saw the family relocating about 17 times before finally settling in Melbourne, Australia, Richard was perhaps destined for a career in the resources sector.

“This might seem like an unsettled childhood, but growing up in Kambalda was fantastic for a kid – riding bikes through the bush, playing footy and cricket on the dust bowl and hanging out with friends – I have very fond memories of the sense of community that it provided,” Richard said.

Richard draws parallels between the tight-knit, small-town culture and OceanaGold, where he commenced in 2014 as a Financial Superintendent at the Globe Progress Mine (now the Reefton Restoration Project).

“No matter which site I’ve worked at or travelled to over the past seven years, and whether the interactions between people have been across the boardroom or the crib room, I’ve seen the same values instilled in all of our people.

“And it’s not lip service. Our whole management system and the decisions made at every level are framed around our company values. It is a genuine way of behaving, interacting and moderating which empowers people across the organisation.”

“It allows our organisation to be pragmatic and agile, while having a really strong foundation. It’s really refreshing.”

Richard says it’s also why OceanaGold attracts a global talent pool that rivals other, larger mining companies.

“Take for instance our Environment and Community Manager at Macraes, Gavin Lee, who might consider himself, at least in part, an environmental ‘activist’.

“Of course, stereotypically, the mining sector might not seem like a natural fit for Gavin, yet he is an incredibly engaged employee who is passionate about mining the right way and we – as a company and across the sector – have greatly benefited from his expertise on our responsible mining operations. We are better because of people like him.”

Employee testimonial: Grow with us
Employee testimonial: Grow with us
Meet our team – Emily Stephens, Haile Gold Mine
Meet our team – Emily Stephens, Haile Gold Mine
We call Waihi home
We call Waihi home

This article was originally published in Inside Resources in September 2020: MINERALS SECTOR AWARDS FINALIST: OceanaGold Waihi

Waihi Miners’ reflective area

The history of Waihi miners who tunnelled under enemy lines in France during WWI is recorded in a Miners’ Reflective Area in Waihi township.

Following the dedication in 2016 of a Tunnelling Company Memorial project, one of the largest events to occur in Waihi, the Miners’ Reflective Area was finally completed in 2019.

“This project is an example of how a community and a mining company can work constructively together to achieve something of lasting value,” OceanaGold’s senior communications advisor Kit Wilson says.

Miners’ Reflective Area takes shape

The community initiative started with a local heritage group approaching the Ministry of Culture and Heritage in 2013, and subsequently receiving $100,000 in funding to design and construct the Tunnelling Company Memorial, as part of the WWI centennial commemorations.

The Miners’ Reflective Area was designed as a multi-use public space of quiet reflection which would recognise miners past and present, and the contribution of these men, their families, and the industry to Waihi and New Zealand.

“Through the provision of practical in-kind assistance and support, and financial help, OceanaGold and the mine’s previous owners have put all of these values into action,” Wilson says.

“The object of this project was to bring their story back to life, to remind modern-day Waihi and New Zealand of these historical links, and to strengthen international Tunnelling Company links.”

The area chosen is part of Gilmour Reserve, a natural gathering place, which Wilson describes as “almost a village green”.

The land joins up Gilmour Lake to the Union Hill Walkway and beyond to the Pit Rim Walkway, all of which were Waihi Gold projects.

“This initiative would link these features as a valuable walking track and significant historical trail.”

Community support for Waihi operations

Encouraging the strong community support for OceanaGold’s Waihi operations is the company’s own strong support for the local community, with it taking the time to listen to the community’s aspirations and assist with community initiatives.

The collective energy put into creating the Miners’ Reflective Area has led to several additional co-operative projects, Wilson says.

They include the Waihi Lions Club/Waihi Heritage Vision Poppy Fence, the Waihi Heritage Vision Peace Wings Project, and the Waihi Heritage Vision Cross of Crosses.

“None of these initiatives would have been possible without close co-operation between mine staff and community members,” Wilson says.

Oral histories of miners’ descendants live on

Also inspiring the project is its contribution to the mining history of Waihi and the link between the local community and other countries sharing the New Zealand Tunnelling Company’s history – France, the UK, Australia, the Cook Islands and Norfolk Island.

OceanaGold Waihi provided financial assistance for a Heritage Group researcher and a videographer to record Tunnelling Company oral histories.

Wilson says “the oral histories were of particular importance as there was only a small number of Tunnellers’ children still alive.

“These descendants’ interviews were incorporated into the wider Waihi Gold Oral History Project, which ultimately saw over 60 local people interviewed on all aspects of early mining life in and around Waihi.”

Following the death of underground miner Tipiwai Stainton at Waihi, four new plaques were added to the Miners’ Reflective Area in honour and recognition of the four men who have died at the mine since 1952.

“The result is unique and is something that will continue to be a very special amenity for Waihi locals, visitors and mining families for many years to come,” Wilson says.

Macraes launches self-guided modern and historic mining tour
Macraes launches self-guided modern and historic mining tour
OceanaGold features in new World Gold Council documentary
OceanaGold features in new World Gold Council documentary
Mining is New Zealand’s most productive industry
Mining is New Zealand’s most productive industry

This article was originally published in Mining Journal in September 2020: OceanaGold, leading social performance in gold mining

With mining companies facing increasing regulatory requirements, growing distrust from communities and scrutiny from investors around the way environmental, social and governance (ESG) impacts are managed, it is crucial for the industry to understand what good social performance is and how to implement it.

OceanaGold is open about its commitment to responsible mining, managing impacts, and contributing to communities and society more broadly.

Celebrating its 30th anniversary in November this year, the company applies robust ESG practices across the business, with its performance recognised by the major ESG rating agencies, ranking in the top five globally in the gold industry.

In 2019, the World Gold Council launched the Responsible Gold Mining Principles – a set of 10 principles that establish clear expectations about what constitutes responsible gold mining across key environmental, social and governance issues in the gold mining sector.

As members of the World Gold Council, and with a seat on the Board, OceanaGold is among some of the world’s most forward-thinking gold mining companies, with a focus on the future for the industry.

Sharon Flynn, OceanaGold’s Executive Vice President & Head of External Affairs and Social Performance, said, “our multinational portfolio contributes to economic growth, employment and skills development. Our approach to sustainability is to build a positive legacy, delivering value throughout and beyond the life of our mines.”

“These societal outcomes are inextricably linked to the way we manage our operations and invest in sustainable, industry-leading practices at OceanaGold,” Ms Flynn said.

The importance of partnerships

Demands for more transparency and engagement are not going away.

“Mining companies must respond by acknowledging the concerns of stakeholders, being transparent in their operations, and by engaging with humility and openness with communities,” Ms Flynn said.

“It is vital to forge innovative and sustainable partnerships with local suppliers, governments, community groups, industry leaders, education providers, technology partners and NGOs.”

Social performance management

OceanaGold has an External Affairs and Social Performance (EA&SP) Management System. The system provides a framework to understand and manage how the company’s activities affect the communities it operates in and societal expectations for how it should operate.

“To do this, companies require the right set of skills, expertise and an organised professional approach based on sound methodologies,” Ms Flynn said.

“The EA&SP Management System helps us identify how we impact the communities and societies where we operate, how we can work to align our operational performance with local aspirations, values and culture, and how we should behave as a company and as employees.”

The EA&SP system in action

A social change assessment conducted at OceanaGold’s Didipio Mine in 2019 collected data to inform the mine’s future community focused operational decision-making. The project was key to better understanding the past, current and future impacts of the operation and to enhance OceanaGold’s social performance.

The assessment, which involved 14 barangays (villages) around the operation, identified and analysed the social changes that have occurred since mine development began in 1992 and how the changes are perceived by local stakeholders.

The assessment collected qualitative data through case studies, focus groups and in-depth interviews with members of the community. The work also involved a remote sensing project that collected geo-spatial data to look at changes in the mining footprint and, subsequently, the surrounding landscapes. This included artisanal mining, access roads and forestry across the Didipio Mine’s lifecycle.

“The assessment gave us a strong dataset to better understand how the Didipio mine has changed peoples’ lives – the positive and the negative. From here, we can work to identify key areas for improvement to better align how we work with local aspirations and expectations,” Ms Flynn said.

Looking ahead

Social performance can and must be continuously improved. As a mid-tier mining company, OceanaGold has strong systems and processes in place which area testament to the company’s governance and commitment to responsible gold mining.

“The gold, silver and copper we produce are essential to economic development and societal wellbeing—from renewable energy to life-saving medical devices and technologies that connect communities around the world. But there is no mine or mining project without social impacts,” Ms Flynn said.

“Good social performance means recognising social complexity across geographic, cultural and social landscapes and understanding how the business of mining changes the way people live and work.”

Mining is New Zealand’s most productive industry
Mining is New Zealand’s most productive industry
OceanaGold’s contribution to sustainable development at Waihi
OceanaGold’s contribution to sustainable development at Waihi
The Biggest Catch
The Biggest Catch

This article was originally published in Coast and Country News in August 2020: Farming and the mine

Mining and farming don’t seem like a likely pair – one relies on what’s on the land, and the other extracts from beneath it. But OceanaGold Waihi is proving the two can work in harmony.

The company own three blocks of farmland around their Waihi processing plant totalling 220ha, which is leased to and managed by three neighbouring farmers.

“We’re proud of the way we’ve managed to make the mine, farms and storage ponds function together, which we’ve been doing, and improving, since going underground in 2004,” says OceanaGold site project manager Kevin Storer. “With the help of our neighbouring farmers, we have beautiful land surrounding us.”

Cows and explosions

The farms’ daily operations are unaffected by what happens below, says Kevin. Being beneath a town of 4527 people, OceanaGold Waihi is used to mining in a way that creates minimal effects above ground.

This is achieved by carefully calculated placement of explosive charges, which detonate a microsecond apart and break the rock with minimal vibration on the surface.

Usually, the most impact felt above ground can be compared to a truck passing a house, so farming can continue as normal.

At the end of the 2017 season, OceanaGold signed an agreement with three neighbouring farmers, making them the managers of one OceanaGold block each – an extension to their own farms.

Prior to this, OceanaGold leased the land, and was responsible for the maintenance. “Our neighbours are great farmers. The land is always incredibly well kept,” says Kevin.

“Maintaining it ourselves worked okay but farming isn’t our profession, so we’re really happy with the decision.”

In total, the three farms graze 830 cows on OceanaGold’s blocks – mostly dairy, with 60 drystock.

About 48ha of OceanaGold’s south block is constructed from extracted rock from their open pit operation. The mounds are called Tailings Storage Facilities, or TSFs.

“The mine construction material isn’t harmful in any way, it’s just normal rock out of the ground. You can’t tell the difference between the land on south block and the adjoining farmland,” says Kevin.

Both TSF mounds have been rehabilitated with topsoil, sown with grass seed and converted into farmland, with a significant area dedicated to riparian planting. “Within three months of sowing everything’s green, and by the next season it’s being farmed.

“The South block is quite steep, so the farmer running it tends to only graze young heifers up there.”

Clean water

The mine has one operational TSF pond that stores tailings and excess water from the mining process, and rainfall. Water is sent from the pond to an onsite treatment plant, before being discharged into the Ohinemuri River.

The mine’s second TSF, named TSF2, was decommissioned in 2006. “The water in TSF2 is high enough quality to run directly into the waterways with no processing required.”

The active tailings pond is regularly tested. “Anomalies rarely happen, and if they do it’s usually just a matter of adjusting the PH levels – no different to what you’d do on a normal farm.

“People’s perception is that the pond is full of toxic material. There are trace elements of different minerals in there, but these are removed at the treatment plant.”

The water treatment plant’s polishing pond – the final stage before the water is discharged into the river – is clean enough to swim in. And people do. OceanaGold host a winter swimming event, called the Walrus Swim, every year. Fittingly, the winners receive a Walrus trophy. “It’s not just clean water for a mine – it’s considered clean by national standards,” says Kevin.

Bringing in the birds

The area around the two TSFs has attracted breeding pairs of endangered New Zealand Dotterels. It’s believed to be the only inland Dotterel breeding site in the North Island. “There are plenty of ducks and swans too, even on the active tailings pond. If you go there during duck season, it’s covered in them.”

As well as water testing, OceanaGold’s health, safety and environment team do regular sampling on all sites, and independent tests are carried out. All data is reported to Waikato Regional Council.

“We get annual soil test reports from the farmers and run our own extensive sample and testing regime,” says Kevin. “We manage trends through our database to ensure we’re not negatively affecting our surrounding environment.”

In the early days, OceanaGold worked with Massey University to complete yearly soil testing. “The university helped ensure the converted farmland was to standard, which created an opportunity for students to engage in the process.”

If OceanaGold’s proposed Project Quattro is approved, constructing another TSF will be permitted. Once mined, OceanaGold will stick to the same process, using leftover rock to construct farmland. “Leaving behind usable land, when the mining is over, is part of our duty of care.”

Macraes launches self-guided modern and historic mining tour
Macraes launches self-guided modern and historic mining tour
OceanaGold features in new World Gold Council documentary
OceanaGold features in new World Gold Council documentary
Mining is New Zealand’s most productive industry
Mining is New Zealand’s most productive industry

This article was originally published in Business South magazine in August 2020: Reefton restoration Leading the way

Multinational gold producer OceanaGold, with global operating, development and exploration experience, is serious about sustainability.

And company spokesman Kit Wilson says OceanaGold’s commitment to achieving sustainable outcomes does not end when their mining operations cease.

“For us the closure of a mine site is simply a transition to a new phase of operations, and a new Opportunity to achieve additional important sustainability targets.”

He says the former Globe Progress Mine at Reefton is a leading example of OceanaGold’s

Commitment to achieving sustainable outcomes after mining operations cease.

OceanaGold operated the Globe Progress Mine for about 10 years, and on average, moved approximately 23 million tonnes of material each year.

As a result of more than 610,000 ounces being extracted from the site, the depth of the main pit was 275m below the highest ground surface. However, in 2016, the mine transitioned from an operational phase to closure and rehabilitation and has since come to be known as the Reefton Restoration Project.

“The Reefton Restoration Project is largely focused on achieving environmentally sustainable outcomes. Central to the project is the re-establishment of vital ecosystems in the new post-mining landscape.”

In order to achieve this, OceanaGold has already undertaken a large-scale reforestation programme, covering 118ha. So far 700,000 seedlings have been planted, and a further 200,000 seedlings will be planted over the next 3 years.

The reforested areas predominately include species native to New Zealand, such as Beech and Manuka varieties, to provide homes for local wildlife species and enhance biodiversity outcomes.

In addition to planting, the progressive rehabilitation pf the former mine site also includes waste rock reshaping, backfilling operations, spreading of topsoil, and pest management, to ensure that the environment is visually integrated into the surrounding landscape.

Kit Wilson says the Reefton Restoration Project also includes  social sustainability targets to benefit the local community.

“A major target of the project was to support local community projects and since the rehabilitation phase began the company has provided $150,000 in funding for a local socio-economic development office, and $50,000 funding for local community projects.”

OceanaGold has also provided reinvigoration funding $50,000 to the local I-Site visitors centre to encourage tourism for the area.

The restoration project also aimed to offer employment opportunities for local community members, and several positions have been filled by local people, while the local and regional economy has also been bolstered through the procurement of goods and services.

Steph Hayton, the Environmental and Restoration Coordinator at OceanaGold, says working on the project has been a hugely rewarding experience.

“Working on a project like this has required an adaptive management style where research and trial work informs decisions on all aspects of closure,” says Steph.

“This includes restoration trials determining rehabilitation methods at the beginning of the operation, all the way through to the establishment of passive treatment trials for long term management of onsite water when the first went into closure.”

Steph says the approach has meant innovative techniques creating some great long-term solutions.

“While some aspects of closure have been easier than others the work towards closure has been extremely satisfying, with rehabilitated areas of the site now hosting many native bird species including the nationally vulnerable South Island Kaka.”

Babbage Consultants Limited, a New Zealand based multi-disciplinary consultancy, has been providing support to OceanaGold on the project.

Among several services provided to OceanaGold, Babbage has conducted ongoing water quality monitoring and guidance on wetlands for a lake side margin and also a treatment wetland to enhance downstream water quality While OceanaGold has already made many

Significant environmental and social gains in the rehabilitation phase, the Reefton Restoration Project is not due to be completed for a few more years.

However, the project is already showing signs that it represents a new gold standard for mine rehabilitation.

In the coming two years, the project team will continue their environmental work, and the reinstatement of adjacent historic tracks.

Upon completion, OceanaGold will hand back the land to the New Zealand Department of Conservation in accordance with its council consent.

Macraes launches self-guided modern and historic mining tour
Macraes launches self-guided modern and historic mining tour
OceanaGold features in new World Gold Council documentary
OceanaGold features in new World Gold Council documentary
Mining is New Zealand’s most productive industry
Mining is New Zealand’s most productive industry

The drill and blast team at our Haile Gold Mine’s recently added remote technology to its repertoire of world-class, tech-forward blast hole drilling techniques.

Haile is the first gold mine in the United States to use Epiroc’s BenchREMOTE technology for remote control drilling with two of their three Epiroc drills. This technology provides many advantages for Haile’s workforce – no strangers to working in sometimes harsh South Carolina environmental conditions of extreme heat, wind, and rain.

The BenchREMOTE system enables operators to work from a safe distance in a comfortable environment, handling up to three rigs in parallel. This advanced technology allows the operator station to be placed up to 100 meters away and +/- 30 meters in elevation with a line of sight to communicate with the drills. Haile purchased two Epiroc D65 drills, BD7 and BD8, in 2019 that are compatible with this new technology.

The BenchREMOTE package includes the operator station only, so installation design is determined at the operator’s discretion allowing for a customizable end-product. Haile Drill and Blast General Supervisor, Aaron Kash, worked with ATC Trailers to design Haile’s housing, building the remote station into a fully insulated enclosed trailer.

“When we bought the equipment from Epiroc, I reached out to our local ATC trailer dealer and had them bring up the specs of a similar trailer,” Kash said.

“We made a few changes – making it a little longer, equipping it with a bigger A/C unit to withstand the heat, and upgraded the generator,” he said.

Safety is a primary concern any time people are present on a drill pattern with remotely operated drills. Communication, situational awareness, preparation, and warning systems are necessary for maintaining safe operation.

Perhaps the most significant benefit of the remote drills is the potential for increased productivity. Now one driller can operate up to three machines at a time, increasing utilization.

Another safety benefit is that the remote drill can access areas that may be unsuitable for people to access.

“With the development of the new Haile Pit, we are encountering historic workings. We may want to drill into an area with little cover to see what’s there, but we don’t want to risk putting somebody physically in the drill,” Kash explained.

Macraes launches self-guided modern and historic mining tour
Macraes launches self-guided modern and historic mining tour
OceanaGold features in new World Gold Council documentary
OceanaGold features in new World Gold Council documentary
Mining is New Zealand’s most productive industry
Mining is New Zealand’s most productive industry

This article was originally published in the Asia Miner: OceanaGold’s Reefton Restoration Project  

The former Globe Progress Mine, located in New Zealand’s South Island, is a leading example of achieving sustainable outcomes.

By Reefton Restoration Project, OceanaGold, and Ashley Bartlett , Babbage Consultants

Multinational gold producer OceanaGold is serious about sustainability. However, unlike many other mining companies, OceanaGold’s commitment to achieving sustainable outcomes does not end when their mining operations cease. Rather, for OceanaGold, the closure of a mine site is simply a transition to a new phase of operations, and a new opportunity to achieve additional important sustainability targets.

The former Globe Progress Mine, located in New Zealand’s South Island, is a leading example of OceanaGold’s commitment to achieving sustainable outcomes after mining operations cease.

OceanaGold operated the Globe Progress Mine for about 10 years, and on average, moved approximately 23 million tonnes of material each year. As a result of more than 610,000 ounces of gold being extracted from the site, the depth of the main pit was 275 m below the highest ground surface. However, in 2016, the mine transitioned from an operational phase to closure and a rehabilitation phase and has since come to be known as the Reefton Restoration Project.

Environmentally Sustainable Outcomes

The Reefton Restoration Project is largely focused on achieving environmentally sustainable outcomes. Central to the project is the re-establishment of vital ecosystems in the new post-mining landscape.

In order to achieve this, OceanaGold has already undertaken a large-scale reforestation programme, covering 118 hectares. To date, approximately 700,000 seedlings have been planted, and a further 200,000 seedlings will be planted over the next three years.

The reforested areas predominately include species native to New Zealand, such as Beech and Manuka varieties, to provide homes for local wildlife species and enhance biodiversity outcomes.

In addition to planting, the progressive rehabilitation also includes waste rock reshaping, backfilling operations, spreading of topsoil, and pest management, to ensure that the environment is visually integrated into the surrounding landscape.

Furthermore, the Reefton Restoration Project includes impressive social sustainability targets to benefit the local community. A major target of the project was to support local community projects and since the rehabilitation phase began, OceanaGold has provided funding for a local socio-economic development officer (NZ$150,000), and further funding for local community projects (NZ$50,000). They have also provided reinvigoration funding (NZ$50,000) to the local I-SITE visitors centre to encourage tourism for the area.

The restoration project also aimed to offer employment opportunities for local community members, and several positions have been filled by local people, while the local and regional economy has also been bolstered through the procurement of goods and services.

Rewarding Experience

Steph Hayton, the Environmental and Restoration Coordinator at OceanaGold, said that working on the project has been a hugely rewarding experience.

She stated that working on a project like this has required an adaptive management style whereby research and trial work informs decisions on all aspects of closure. This includes restoration trials determining rehabilitation methods at the beginning of the operation, all the way through to the establishment of passive treatment trials for long-term management of onsite water when the first went into closure. This approach has meant innovative techniques creating some great long-term solutions.

While some aspects of closure have been easier than others the work towards closure has been extremely satisfying, with rehabilitated areas of the site now hosting many native bird species including the nationally vulnerable South Island Kaka.

Babbage Consultants Limited has been providing support to OceanaGold on the project.

Amongst several services provided to OceanaGold, Babbage has conducted ongoing water quality monitoring and guidance on wetlands for a lake side margin and also a treatment wetland to enhance downstream water quality outcomes.

Dr Grant Allen, a senior environmental scientist at Babbage, says that working together with the team at OceanaGold has been very rewarding. Reflecting on the project, Grant said that it is great to see companies, such as OceanaGold taking its responsibility for the environment seriously and then proceeding to go above and beyond to demonstrate that mine sites can be properly rehabilitated.

Looking ahead, he said that it would be fantastic to see more mine operators following in OceanaGold’s footsteps, taking up the challenge of rehabilitating their former mine sites to allow the environment to recover and prosper.

While OceanaGold has already made many significant environmental and social gains in the rehabilitation phase, the Reefton Restoration Project is not due to be completed for a few more years.

However, the project is already showing signs that it represents a new gold standard for mine rehabilitation. In the coming two years, the project team will continue their environmental work, and the reinstatement of adjacent historic tracks. Upon completion, OceanaGold will hand back the land to the New Zealand Department of Conservation in accordance with their council consent.

Macraes launches self-guided modern and historic mining tour
Macraes launches self-guided modern and historic mining tour
OceanaGold features in new World Gold Council documentary
OceanaGold features in new World Gold Council documentary
Mining is New Zealand’s most productive industry
Mining is New Zealand’s most productive industry

This article was originally published in the Mining Journal: Waihi District, a Golden Opportunity in New Zealand

OceanaGold is expanding gold mining in New Zealand’s North Island following an exploration campaign, which has identified significant additional ore deposits in the area.

The Waihi District Study is a Preliminary Economic Assessment (PEA) indicating strong value creating potential from several projects.  The base case scenario extends the mine life at Waihi to at least 2036, from multiple sources of ore feed, with a potential initial resource of 2.4 million ounces of contained gold.

The 12-month study looked at the Waihi District’s resource potential holistically. The study establishes the future production potential of the resources in the region, development requirements for each project, and the associated key milestones including mine production, processing and gold production.

The Waihi District in the North Island of New Zealand includes the town of Waihi and surrounding areas. The mining projects in the PEA include Martha Underground, Wharekirauponga (WKP) Underground, Martha Open Pit Cutback and Gladstone Open Pit.

Michael Holmes, President and CEO of OceanaGold said, “We are very pleased to share the positive results of the Waihi District Study that represents the initial value creating potential of the district opportunities.”

“The results of the study give us confidence to move forward with these opportunities. We see potential for further significant growth through resource additions particularly at Martha Underground and WKP deposits. Further resource expansion also has the potential for sustained high levels of annual gold production and mine life extension,” Mr Holmes added.

The modern Martha Mine and underground operations have been operating at Waihi for over 30 years. OceanaGold will enlarge the current Martha open pit, mine a second smaller pit on the outskirts of town near the company’s process plant, develop a new tailings storage facility, and construct a rock stack next to the existing tailings storage areas.

Economic benefits

The Waihi District Study shows significant socio-economic benefits for the regional community and for New Zealand, which can play a critical role in the post-COVID-19 economic recovery, including 300 new jobs in addition to the existing 900-person countrywide workforce.

“When OceanaGold purchased the Waihi Operation in 2015, the mine had a life of less than three years. We made a commitment then to extend the life of the mine and develop the economic benefits it brings to Waihi and the broader district. We are a high value export intensive industry that supports a wide range of businesses and jobs,” Mr Holmes said.

“With the potential to extend the mine life out to 2036, we would invest an estimated US$1.4 billion in the area. This is in addition to the significant benefits already delivered in New Zealand over the last 32 years of operation at Waihi.”

Mining in New Zealand

New Zealand has a long, rich history of mining dating back to the 1800s. Over the past 30 years, OceanaGold has successfully operated to the highest environmental and social standards and delivered significant socio-economic benefits to regional communities in both the North and South Islands.

Waihi, in particular, grew around the mining operations since the discovery of gold in the area over 150 years ago. Today, the town’s motto is “the heart of gold mining in New Zealand”.

The critical path for success is permitting and while the New Zealand permitting process is prescriptive, OceanaGold is very familiar with it.

“There are no short-cuts, permitting in New Zealand requires extensive engagement and transparency. We have successfully permitted dozens of projects in the country over the last 30 years, including most recently the Martha Underground Project which was permitted six months ahead of schedule in 2019. We have a strong reputation as a responsible miner and have solid relationships with the local community and other stakeholders,” Mr Holmes said.

Responsible mining

OceanaGold’s approach to sustainability is to build a positive legacy, delivering value throughout and beyond the life of its mines.

The land under which the Wharekirauponga (WKP) deposit sits is culturally and environmentally significant. It is also an important recreational area for walkers and campers and home to the critically endangered native Archey’s Frog.

That’s why any potential mining operation at Wharekirauponga would be underground and with minimal surface disturbance to protect the conservation values of the region.

“We believe we can mine the resource sensitively and respectfully using proven underground methods. Although we have tested enough rock to be confident that the gold discovered at the site could support a mine, we still need to undertake significant, detailed studies before we apply for resource consents,” Mr Holmes said.

This is not the first potential mine on conservation land for the company. OceanaGold successfully operated Reefton, an open pit mine in Department of Conservation land for nine years. Since ceasing operations the company has been conducting leading practice closure and rehabilitation at the site.

“We strongly support responsible mining, protecting conservation land and working with technical experts to understand and protect the biodiversity of the areas we operate in. We’re proud of our engagement and partnerships with local communities and the support we receive for our operations and future development,” Mr Holmes said.

Organic growth

OceanaGold has one of the best organic growth pipelines in the global gold sector, currently investing in a number of growth opportunities.

The majority of OceanaGold’s exploration activities are in New Zealand, particularly at Waihi where the resource has significantly increased since the asset was acquired in 2015.

“We have a high-quality management team and high-quality assets – which is a recipe for success, combined with one of the best organic growth pipelines in the gold sector. Over the next several years, we expect to build four underground mines in low-risk jurisdictions where we have extensive operating experience,” Mr Holmes said.

Macraes launches self-guided modern and historic mining tour
Macraes launches self-guided modern and historic mining tour
OceanaGold features in new World Gold Council documentary
OceanaGold features in new World Gold Council documentary
Mining is New Zealand’s most productive industry
Mining is New Zealand’s most productive industry

In July 2020 we announced the Waihi District Study which looks at future resource opportunities in New Zealand’s Waihi region.

We closely examined our existing operations and exploration sites and developed a Preliminary Economic Assessment to examine additional opportunities to extend the life of the operation.

The study has allowed us to better-understand and optimise the overall development of our Waihi resources while balancing numerous, detailed considerations such as quality of the resources, capital expenditure, consenting (permitting) and stakeholder impacts.

One of the projects under the study is Project Quattro, which includes the Martha open pit extension, an additional tailings storage facility, new Gladstone open pit, a northern rock stack and infrastructure upgrades to support expanded operation. Watch this video to find out more about our proposed projects.

Macraes launches self-guided modern and historic mining tour
Macraes launches self-guided modern and historic mining tour
OceanaGold features in new World Gold Council documentary
OceanaGold features in new World Gold Council documentary
Mining is New Zealand’s most productive industry
Mining is New Zealand’s most productive industry

Mining projects often lack quality social data and analysis to understand the complexity of the dynamic context in which they operate. Good social data is needed to address operational challenges, assess and monitor impacts and measure management effectiveness.

At the Didipio Mine in the Philippines, we undertook an innovative social data knowledge-building approach, with the aim of enhancing our social performance. The principle was to establish a process to better understand social changes induced by our operation in order to adequately address them whilst increasing opportunities for participatory processes. Our key focus was to incorporate the community perspective as an integral and core component of an adaptive management system.

As a first step, we engaged local social scientists to help us identify, categorise and analyse in a qualitative manner the social changes that have occurred and how they were perceived by local stakeholders in the study area. The study area included 14 Barangays (villages) around our sites, and 36 families with varying income levels and livelihood sources were involved. Data was collected in three ways:

  1. Ethnographic case studies of the 36 selected families.
  2. Focus groups aimed at constructing a local memory of social changes from the arrival of the mine and identify the perceived impacts associated with mining activity.
  3. In depth interviews with smaller selection of community members from different social groups.

This data collection process was complimented with a remote sensing project, which enabled the collection of relevant geo-spatial data. The objective of this project was to characterise changes in mining footprints and the surrounding landscapes, including artisanal mining, main roads and forestry across Didipio mine’s lifecycle. It made use of freely available Landsat data dating back to before the mining operations began.

The next step is to validate the social change pathways through triangulation with qualitative data and spatial analysis using internal and external evidence. This will also highlight the possible attribution or influence (direct and indirect) of the mining project or operation. This requires measurable indicators to be defined previously for each of the elements that make up a pathway.  Secondary information from the household socioeconomic surveys and other sources can be used to set indicators.

Once the existence of the change pathways (trends) has been verified, a baseline can be developed to assess social change and the effects on the different types of families, especially on vulnerable families, as family type and impact area can be differentiated.  The analysis of the consequences of the change and its indicators will be carried out to identify what social changes and their effects have significantly affected the population including a hierarchy of effects by family type and impact area.

In the end, the aim is to develop strategies for future monitoring of social change. It is crucial for us to be able to monitor the most important changes that the population experiences and to illustrate the local narrative. This will include the development of a quantitative baseline and implementation of a monitoring system of changes and social impacts using the adaptive management approach to ensure an iterative process.

Overall, this social change assessment process is to propose and reflect on innovative approaches to enhance the social performance framework, by adopting an adaptive management system with feedback loops addressing the community perspective as an integral aspect, and promoting an integrated, multi-layered social science approach to inform and improve social performance.

Macraes launches self-guided modern and historic mining tour
Macraes launches self-guided modern and historic mining tour
OceanaGold features in new World Gold Council documentary
OceanaGold features in new World Gold Council documentary
Mining is New Zealand’s most productive industry
Mining is New Zealand’s most productive industry

Since 2018 we have been implementing a company-wide program of automation, digital and process transformation we call ADaPT, which is helping us define our journey to operate the mines of the future.

ADaPT is a key feature of our strategy to prepare for operational change as our stakeholders expect us to produce more, waste less, and protect our people and environment. Digital transformation presents an industry-wide opportunity to enhance performance and reduce impact.

What is ADaPT?

We created ADaPT through a high-level collaborative planning workshop that included OceanaGold, Sandvik and MST Global.

The basic principle was to build internal capacity to generate better real time data and use that data to communicate across our workforce, mitigate risk and innovate. Better data enables reduced energy consumption and waste production, and more efficient processes result in producing gold with less rock removed, processed and stored, resulting in less coarse waste and tailings.

Implementation at the Didipio Mine

We strategically selected the underground Didipio Mine to become a flagship site for ADaPT:  an ideal site due to its early stage in the mining lifecycle and resilient workforce with an appetite for change.

The mine will be a model modern operation delivering greater safety, higher efficiencies and increased productivity. To drive this transformation, we are working in partnership with Sandvik for their expertise in mine automation systems, and MST for their experience in the data communications systems required to support productivity and safety processes in underground mines.

Project Manager James Allnutt is leading the transformation program and spoke to us about the process the Transformation Team has led since 2018.

“It started with a thorough review of the state of underground mining technologies, as the team planned to build on industry learning and take a ‘fast follower’ approach. We assessed that ADaPT would help the operation achieve a 10 per cent productivity gain by making the Didipio Mine more connected,” James said.

“In order to better plan for the transformation, we adopted the Idea Management Process, which involves defined steps to achieve sustained and incremental change: diagnostic, prioritise, sign on, implement, track and sustain, and sign off. Benefits from adopting this process of prioritisation were immediately seen – we noticed a clear reduction in frustrations and competition for operations resources. Our first output, a qualitative review of the value and barriers specific to each idea, was used to prioritise these ideas and put them into action.”

Idea management process at Didipio

Two of the projects that resulted from this process were prioritised in the ideas pipeline:

  • Surface remote bogging, which aims to increase the stope production rate and enhance safety by removing personnel from hazardous areas. The team was able to track the progress by measuring daily additional tonnes bogged over shift change
  • Digitised task management, aimed at increasing equipment utilisation and efficiency. The project initially focused on trucks and managed to reduce the idle time significantly. Digitised task management enabled mining supervisors to monitor task progress with real-time and accurate data.

A third project, viewed as an enabler sub-project, was identified as critical to the success of many projects: the backbone and wireless network.

“A fibre optic backbone and Wi-Fi-based network was installed at the Didipio  Mine providing a reliable, mobile and high bandwidth data communication system capable of withstanding the harsh underground environment. The open connectivity allows data-hungry applications, such as mine automation and fleet management systems to be supported by single network infrastructure. Personal safety beacons monitor mine employees’ locations in real-time, enabling rapid accounting for personnel in emergencies and smart management of refuge chamber capacities and fixed plant operations,” James said.

“The implementation of the Idea Management Process to sequence, prioritise and manage transformation ideas at the Didipio Mine improved the integration of the transformation project objectives with the operating teams. Learnings were invaluable. One of them was the importance of having a communication strategy to manage expectations, engage stakeholders and reduce the risk of ineffective implementation.”

“ADaPT has already changed the way we operate. Experience to date has shown existing jobs are becoming more interesting as repetitive work is removed and people are being empowered to enhance their roles. Our workforce welcomed the change and saw the benefits in their day-to-day jobs through technologies that connect them with each other and protect them from the typical hazards associated with the mining environment.”

Macraes launches self-guided modern and historic mining tour
Macraes launches self-guided modern and historic mining tour
OceanaGold features in new World Gold Council documentary
OceanaGold features in new World Gold Council documentary
Mining is New Zealand’s most productive industry
Mining is New Zealand’s most productive industry

OceanaGold is committed to making a positive contribution to communities that host its business activities. This includes the OceanaGold Philippines Inc. (OGPI) scholarship program – which has grown over time and in 2019 supported 85 scholars at universities across the Philippines in 2019.

Oliver Donato is one of the OGPI scholarship recipients. Oliver originally wanted to be a computer engineer, but due to limited financial resources, he had to stop attending school for six years. Things turned around for him when OceanaGold commenced operations and provided scholarships to the community.

As an OceanaGold scholar, Oliver studied Environmental Science at the Nueva Vizcaya State University, graduating to become an Environmental Assistant at the Didipio Mine, where he was focused on minimising raw water use. Today, as the Didipio Mine’s Environmental Compliance Supervisor, Oliver oversees the mine’s Environment Management System to optimise water management on site. Oliver also oversaw Didipio Mine’s ISO14001 recertification process.

In 2019, Oliver won the Outstanding Pollution Control Officer (TOPCO) of Pollution Control Association of the Philippines Inc. (PCAPI)’s 39th general assembly. He was the first local from the Nueva Vizcaya province to win the award. In his award speech, he explained how he keeps Didipio Mine’s water pollution free with the mine’s water treatment plant.

“OceanaGold operates a water treatment plant that recycles water from the tailings storage facility and pumps it back to the processing plant for reuse. This means we can recycle between 80-90% of the water we use,” Oliver said.

Working for OceanaGold has widened my perspective on mining and mining technologies. From elementary to high school, we were taught that mining is destructive, and just because I’m employed here doesn’t mean I’m automatically for large-scale mining. However, with OceanaGold, I learned that we could mine without destroying the environment, by being compliant to local and international regulations,” he said.

What Oliver ultimately wants to do is give back to his community and for other people to benefit from the same opportunities that he received. He helps new Didipio Mine scholars to make their way to college.

“Apart from environmental compliance, I want Didipio Mine’s social development and management, and corporate social responsibility projects to be sustainable. The actual sustainability would depend on the community residents who are the recipients of these projects, on how they make use of the projects,” he said.

Image: Oliver Donato at the Pollution Control Association of the Philippines Inc. (PCAPI)’s 39th general assembly. 

Employee testimonial: Grow with us
Employee testimonial: Grow with us
Meet our team – Emily Stephens, Haile Gold Mine
Meet our team – Emily Stephens, Haile Gold Mine
We call Waihi home
We call Waihi home

Noise is one of the most predominant hazardous agents in the workplace, with the mining industry having one of the highest occupational noise exposures and hearing loss risks. Loud noise is a physical hazard but also plays a role in psychological stress, reduces productivity, interferes with communication and can lead to incidents.

There are many processes, machines, and tools in mining that can cause harmful noise exposures to employees. At Haile Gold Mine, during a routine personal industrial hygiene monitoring, Mary Koerner, Senior Health & Safety Coordinator and her team identified that exploration drills were exposing employees to excessive noise levels.

Mary joined the Haile Gold Mine team in 2019, after working in health and safety in the mining, natural gas and aerospace industries for 12 years. She says her passion working in this field was amplified after joining the company, which has the safety and wellbeing of its people as its number one priority. “Helping people has always been my driving force and my role at OceanaGold has really reinforced that personal ambition,” Mary says.

In a joint effort between exploration and health and safety teams, several engineering controls were tested on the drills to reduce noise levels. The goal was to limit levels to an acceptable rate whereby drillers would only be required to wear single hearing protection – or even better – no hearing protection at all.

Potential noise sources were identified including the muffler, the engine and the head rotation speed. The team, lead by Exploration Supervisor, Justin Adams (with Mary in the picture), resolved to place a one-inch insulation under the rotation guard for the drill steel, which would reduce noise impacts by enclosing the noise source and creating a barrier between it and the driller. This solution succeeded in reducing the sound pressure level by from 98.7 dBA to 93 dBA.

Mary says this innovative solution will have profound, positive impacts on the drillers’ quality of work life for years to come. Teamwork, and collaborative processes that fostered innovation, were the key to success.

“Careful collection and presentation of data is key. And, while my job can be challenging at times, improving the health, morale and productivity of our team is what drives me to do better, every day.”

Image: Mary Koerner, Health & Safety Superintendent for Haile Gold Mine, graduated with a BA in Environmental Science Biology from The University of Montana Western and an MS in Industrial Hygiene from Montana Tech.

Macraes launches self-guided modern and historic mining tour
Macraes launches self-guided modern and historic mining tour
OceanaGold features in new World Gold Council documentary
OceanaGold features in new World Gold Council documentary
Mining is New Zealand’s most productive industry
Mining is New Zealand’s most productive industry

We strive to be an employment ‘destination’ of choice. The best teams are those that bring a range of experiences to the table, and we recognise the key to this is supporting, embedding and celebrating diversity in the workplace.

In 2019, the Macraes Operation started a journey which aims to achieve a gender ratio representative of the community in which it operates. Women accounted for 14 per cent of the workforce, while they make up 53 per cent of the New Zealand South Island population. On average, female employees represent 17 per cent of the workforce across mining companies globally; in Australia this average rises to around 22 per cent.

In February 2019, the Macraes Operation established a Women in Mining committee to support gender diversity and inclusion; generate – and action – ways to support women in mining; and to grow the number of women working at the Macraes Operation to better represent the regional population. In that same year, the Macraes Operation set a target to achieve 20 per cent female representation in the workforce by 2023.

The initial focus of the committee was supported by the Macraes Balanced Business Plan – Lead a Caring and Diverse Workforce Environment. Initiatives were initially drawn from the inaugural Women in Mining event in 2018 where women who were identified as showing high leadership potential came together to discuss what support networks and development was needed on site to give each employee an equal opportunity to succeed. Throughout 2018, the Women in Mining committee then took the first steps towards achieving their goals by engaging with a number of external businesses, such as Diversity Works, who help address gender diversity within local organisations.

By the end of 2019, the operation saw a three per cent increase in the number of women on site. The Open Pit team continues to lead the way in achieving the long-term goal with females representing 20 per cent of their workforce at the end of 2019.

In December 2019, the Women in Mining committee hosted their annual event, and invited women from across the operation to take part in identifying areas of personal growth and the skills required to be mobile in their careers. The event also provided the opportunity for male counterparts in leadership positions to attend and continue to understand how they can support and develop their female colleagues reach their full potential as part of a diverse team.

As the Women in Mining committee continues to evolve, there is hope that new groups of men and women from across the business will consider joining in to champion this change and help find ways to make the Macraes Operation an even better place to work. In 2020, the Women in Mining initiative will form part of a wider Diversity and Inclusion focus and the site has yet again committed to achieving another 3 per cent increase in female employees by the end of the year.

Image: The launch of the ‘pink bucket’ as part of a breast cancer fundraiser in October 2019

Macraes launches self-guided modern and historic mining tour
Macraes launches self-guided modern and historic mining tour
OceanaGold features in new World Gold Council documentary
OceanaGold features in new World Gold Council documentary
Mining is New Zealand’s most productive industry
Mining is New Zealand’s most productive industry
OceanaGold