Comments to the panel – resources for neighbours near the mine

Thanks for taking the time to come to this page.

Here’s a copy of the Fast-Track Panel’s decision to invite you to comment.

  • See paragraph 6 – rationale for inviting you.
  • [Central Otago Winegrowers Association members only] Please note that if you are a winegrower member of COWA but also an “adjacent neighbour”, we believe that you are invited to comment separately of COWA, as you have been invited as an adjacent neighbour. You could say something like “we support in full the submission made by COWA, but as adjacent neighbours would like to add the following …”
  • You can send your comments by email to bendigoftaa@fasttrack.govt.nz 

In terms of any comments you send:

  • Keep them concise and as factual as possible
  • Make your position and your concerns clear
  • Feel free to use the words we have provided, but if you have the time, it’s even more powerful to use your own words
  • Remember that there are plenty of experts submitting expert reports (for example we have many including a landscape expert, an economist, a tailings dam team and more)
  • This is more about you making your position clear, and high level concerns

We’ve heard a wide variety of objections from various people. We’ve included some of the most frequently shared ones in the template below.

Here’s a template for you to start with should you need it. Please edit it up as much as possible. Anything in [square brackets] is where you would add in your detailed info.

Email to the Bendigo-Ophir Mine Fast-Track Panel at bendigoftaa@fasttrack.govt.nz 

Subject: Bendigo-Ophir Mine – comments from adjacent landowner [insert your name]

Dear Panel Members

I am writing in response to your invitation to comment on the Bendigo-Ophir Mine project you are assessing. 

I am the owner of land at [insert details]

I wish the panel to know that I am [strongly opposed] to Santana’s fast-track application.

[If relevant, add information specific to you in here – eg about your business, about your life in the area, about your connection with the land and place]

My concerns are as follows:

  • [List them – be concise – rewrite/own words if you can]
  • Landscape impacts – multiple landscape impacts, many of them irreversible, in an area of outstanding natural beauty.
  • Environment impacts – serious environmental risks including but not limited to the dispersal of arsenic throughout the nearby environment (given tailings dust and high winds), 18 million cubic meters of toxic tailings, in the landscape forever – with a real risk of huge environmental damage in the future. Large quantities of very toxic and harmful substances stored in the mine area – also near Shepherds Creek and above the Lindis and Clutha Rivers. Direct impacts on local flora and fauna.
  • Likely adverse economic impacts – including impact on existing industries (particularly tourism, agriculture, horticulture and viticulture), unacceptable additional pressures on the local job market, affordable housing and infrastructure. An unacceptably low return to New Zealand, but with high value extraction by Santana, with much of the value transferring offshore, not for the benefit of New Zealanders.
  • Social impacts – serious immediate and potential, longer term social impacts on nearby communities and individuals.
  • Water quality – serious concerns about contamination to water short and longer term – much of which could cause irreparable contamination and damage (as has been seen elsewhere in the world).
  • Pollution from the mine (from the processing plant) – including air and water pollution
  • Significant dust pollution (including of course unhealthy amounts of arsenic) as evidenced elsewhere – for example the Cadia Mine in Australia.
  • Concerns about the ongoing impacts on our community from noise and blasting, high traffic to and from the site, and the impacts of industrial scale lights impacting our incredible dark sky.
  • Infrastructure impacts for our community, with no recovery of infrastructure updates from Santana.
  • Santana’s overall approach. The lack of meaningful contact we’ve been able to have with Santana. Their inability (or unwillingness) to answer reasonable questions raised – for quite some time now – by the community. Lack of detailed, comprehensive, objective information for those of us living nearly.
  • Concern about Santana’s integrity and good character, as evidenced by their multiple breaches of local regulations and laws, their lacklustre community engagement and their attacks on (criticism of) people who raise concerns about their proposed mine.
  • What we, the community, will be left with after Santana leaves. A scarred landscape. Long term risk. As the Guardian recently called it “the legacy of a toxic time bomb” for us to leave our children and their children.

If you invite parties to make comment verbally, I [do / do not] wish to be heard.

Thank you.

[Normal email sign off]