Mr Johnston confirmed when contacted by the Otago Daily Times he wrote a letter to Labour MP David Parker about losing his $800,000 investment and agreed Mr Parker could read it during last week’s second reading of the Fast-track Approvals Bill.
Mr Johnston said everything was in line with his new investment before it fell over.
"I had a sales agreement, for investment funds to expand my activities and business overall. I was going to use the investment to enhance our offerings for tourism trade and expansion," Mr Johnston said.
He said he was also concerned under the proposed legislation a future fast track consenting panel would not consider any effects on his neighbouring business and the local community because, although his business was a neighbour of Bendigo Station, the events venue was 5km away from the actual mining site and not "immediately adjacent".
He was concerned that would exclude him from having a say as an affected neighbour.
Mr Parker also raised the concerns about participation in Parliament.
Mr Johnston has been involved in the Central Otago wine industry for many years, and in 2018 he realised a $1million dream when he opened his events and wedding venue, The Canyon at Tarras Vineyard.
After watching the debate between Mr Parker and the Minister Responsible for RMA Reform, Chris Bishop, Mr Johnston felt there had been a small "win" for public interests.
Mr Bishop acknowledged in Parliament to Mr Parker "there is the ability for people affected by projects like that to be part of the expert panel process".
He took some heart that Mr Bishop felt a business like Mr Johnston’s would be involved in the project.
"We will be holding Chris Bishop to account for that," Mr Johnston said.
"Our position is that Santana Minerals’ gold mine is too complicated and far reaching with intergenerational consequences that it is just not appropriate to be pushed through on the fast track process."
The public needed to understand the scale of mining being proposed and the environmental trade-offs.
"It creates a contagion. Other mining companies are showing interest in the region. So we can’t rush this.
"We need the community to assess that facts and ask themselves, do we want that change to a heavy-industrial-type focus," Mr Johnston said.
