Further development of the gold mine at Macraes is "highly probable" during the 10-year district plan under development at the Waitaki District Council.
OceanaGold, which employs 550 full-time employees along with roughly the same number of contractors living in Dunedin and Waitaki has said it ‘‘welcomes the opportunity’’ to create a ‘‘special purpose mining zone’’ to replace the old Macraes mining project mineral zone.
The mining company said the plan should find a balance between protecting native biodiversity and productive rural land.
"It has been our experience that mineral resources and indigenous biodiversity often coincide at our Macraes mine," its five-page submission said.
"OceanaGold considers it will be important for the district plan to manage the conflicts that arise from the appropriate use, development and protection of natural and physical resources in a careful and balanced way.
"It will be important that the plan appropriately balances the recognition and protection of significant indigenous biodiversity values and the ongoing use and development of productive rural environments that promote economic and social well-being."
The submission, made in August in response to the council’s district plan discussion document — but released by the council late last year — stated the company undertook 28,000m of exploration drilling last year and was on track for its sixth-highest year of production.
The mine, which has operated for nearly three decades, poured its five-millionth ounce of gold in July.
The submission noted the council’s proposal to mark out significant natural areas on both public and private land and said the council should expect private landowners to have concerns.
Further, it said the company was seeking more information on whether any of the 150 historical sites being considered for inclusion in the plan would have any bearing on current or future work at the mine.
OceanaGold was particularly interested in information about "geo-preservation sites" and the implications those related new rules in the plan might have for its business.
It also wanted more details of provisions for earthworks, light and noise.
The council has said it plans to produce a draft version of the overarching planning document out by mid-2020
