Central Otago District Council chief executive Peter Kelly and Santana Minerals chief executive Damian Spring. Photo: Santana Minerals / supplied
Central Otago District Council (CODC) has granted road access to an Australian company planning an open-cast gold mine near Cromwell.
Santana Minerals will be able to use two roads linked to the Bendigo-Ophir Gold Project in exchange for an annual payment of about $1.25 million, adjusted for inflation, once gold production begins.
The company submitted a fast-track consent application for the open-cast-mine in November.
Panel convenors have indicated a decision could take 120 working days.
In a message to shareholders on Monday, Santana Minerals described the access agreement as endorsement from the council and said it would deliver multi-generational benefits to the district.
However, Central Otago district Mayor Tamah Alley said the council had not taken a position for or against the project and acknowledged the community was divided.
"This agreement ensures that if the project goes ahead, the Central Otago community receives tangible, long-term benefits, while maintaining transparency and public accountability," she said.
"Our focus is on ensuring decisions are made objectively, lawfully and with full consideration of the information available."
Santana Minerals said the agreement covered Thomsons Gorge Road and Shepherds Creek Road - a paper road - including a 20-metre strip on either side of each.
Any future road stopping - where the roads cease to exist as public roads and become private use only - would still require Public Works Act or Local Government Act approval, the company said.
"If any roads are stopped, replacement routes would be built to ensure continued public access," Santana said.
Santana Minerals chief executive Damian Spring called the approval a material step forward for the project.
"This agreement resolves a long-standing statutory access requirement, provides durable clarity around roading and access arrangements and establishes a transparent framework for long-term community benefit."
A Wine not Mine event organised by Sustainable Tarras on Saturday. Photo: Sustainable Tarras / supplied
Council excluded the public - advocacy group
In a statement, advocacy group Sustainable Tarras said the access agreement was disappointing.
"We believe there are considerable legal pitfalls to granting such access and we have repeatedly pointed these out to CODC and cautioned them to take time to consult, consider the consequences and involve the wider community. Today, in announcing this behind-closed-doors decision, they've made it clear that community is secondary to their private negotiations with Santana.
"We do not understand the urgency with which CODC has decided to conclude this agreement with Santana. From the information we have so far, it again excludes the public and local community impacted and fails to take into account what Santana has clearly stated it will do with these roads."
On Saturday 150 people attended a lunch to raise money to fight the mine, including actor Sam Neill and artist Grahame Sydney.
The Wine not Mine event organised by Sustainable Tarras was supported by 12 local wineries and held close to the proposed mine site.
Neill described the mining plans as ruinous for the region and said a growing community of ordinary, hard working people were joining together to fight a "very large, very powerful, very well-funded Australian mining company".
Actor Sam Neill speaks at the Wine not Mine event. Photo: Sustainable Tarras / supplied
Sydney spoke of the "breathtaking, mystical, pristine and ever-changing" landscapes of Central Otago and urged people to fight against the "madness" of an open-cast gold mine.
Sustainable Tarras said funds from the event would cover expert fees and legal support costs as the group made submissions to the fast-track process.
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