Distressed Waihi residents recognised at last

After two years of negotiations Waihi residents affected by blasting vibration, noise and dust from the open cast gold mine are being offered a compensation package by Newmont.

Local Green Party MP Jeanette Fitzsimons is welcoming the resolution, after publicly expressing her frustration at lack of progress over the last year.

“While money cannot really compensate for the intrusion of noise, dust and blasting into people's lives, it will help people pay for a holiday break away, or some house cleaning or double glazing to try to reduce the effects,” she says.

“We must also recognise that this offer may well be the first of its kind. Newmont's consents allow this level of nuisance to local families and they are not legally bound to do anything; but they have negotiated this offer in recognition that their activities do cause considerable distress to their neighbours.”

Every household in the affected area, about 130 in total, who choose to accept the offer, will receive an initial $500 payment, then six-monthly payments based on measured affects in the previous period.

“The payments will be backdated to the beginning of 2007, the time at which we first thought we had finished negotiations. I'm also glad to report that accepting these payments will in no way affect people's rights to make submissions on the forthcoming controversial mine pit expansion.

“Noise and dust, spread by wind strength and direction, will be measured separately from blast vibration and people will be paid for whichever is the larger. This is not ideal as the effects of both are in my view cumulative - they can occur on different days and all contribute to the overall nuisance. However, this is the company's best offer and we don't want to wait another year for more discussions.

“It appears the slow progress was due to the need to obtain head office approval in Australia. This is one of the disadvantages of dealing with companies based overseas,” Ms Fitzsimons says.

“I hope the community will recognise the extraordinary perseverance of their advocate Collette Spalding without whose efforts this agreement would not have been achieved. Ollie Richardson with her knowledge of mining in the district has also been an enormous help. It has been a pleasure to work with them.”