Proposed Plan Change 6
Proposed Plan Change 6: Extension of Martha Mineral Zone
Oceana Gold (New Zealand) Ltd has applied to the Hauraki District Council for a private plan change to rezone 47 properties (owned by, or under the control of Oceana Gold) to Martha Mineral Zone in the Hauraki District Plan. All 47 properties are in the vicinity of the existing Martha Pit and the change of zone would still require resource consent to expand the Martha Pit across all, or part of, those properties (as a discretionary activity).
At its meeting on 25 October 2023 the Hauraki District Council resolved to ‘accept’ Proposed Plan Change 6: Extension of Martha Mineral Zone for processing and a summary of the process since then is shown below:
More information on the process to date (public notification, submissions and further submissions), along with the proposed plan change application documents, is further below.
Hearing
A hearing to consider and make recommendations on what is being proposed by OceanaGold via Proposed Plan Change 6, and requests made in submissions/further submissions, was held on 10-12 December 2024 at the Presbyterian Community Hall, 76 Moresby Avenue in Waihi.
At the hearing, which was before an independent Hearing Committee made up of four commissioners, submitters on Proposed Plan Change 6 presented information to support the points made in their submission/s.
Toward the end of the hearing Legal Counsel for OceanaGold indicated a preference to be able to deliver their closing submissions, or right of reply, at a later date so as to be able to respond to matters raised during the hearing. The Hearing Committee agreed to this request and the hearing was adjourned, to be reconvened on 11 February 2025, from 10am (at the same venue).
Prior to the hearing being adjourned the Hearing Committee invited legal submissions from the Council, and then OceanaGold (the Requestor), regarding the ‘scope’ of what was being requested/recommended via Proposed Plan Change 6. Legal submissions were subsequently received from the Council (on 13 January 2025) and OceanaGold (on 28 January 2025) and the Committee also asked 4 questions which it is asking OceanaGold to address, for clarity, in the Requestor’s closing submissions. Each of the documents can be found below:
Council staff anticipate that the Hearing Committee will be able to recommend a decision to the Council in March 2025, with the decision being released soon after. Appeals on Council decisions are able to be made to the Environment Court, and further information about the appeal period and process will be included in the decision letters.
Submitter Evidence
The following statement of evidence was received from submitter 43 (Hauraki District Council)
Applicant Evidence
Following release of the Council’s Hearing Report (see below) the applicant for Proposed Plan Change 6 (OceanaGold), and their respective experts, prepared statements of evidence for consideration by the Hearing Committee appointed by the Council. The Council is making this evidence available below:
- Overview – Alison Paul (OceanaGold (New Zealand) Limited) (PDF, 171.6KB)
- Planning Overview Statement (15 November 2024) - Richard Turner (Mitchell Daysh) (PDF, 1.4MB)
- Planning Primary Statement (18 November 2024) - Richard Turner (Mitchell Daysh) (PDF, 247.5KB)
- Land Supply – John Pokinghorne (contractor to RCG Ltd) (PDF, 248.4KB)
- Ecology – Chris Wedding (Bioresearches) (PDF, 781.1KB)
- Social impacts – Hilary Konigkramer (WSP) (PDF, 198.6KB)
- Transportation - Ian Carlisle (Harrison Grierson) (PDF, 158.4KB)
- Economics – Shamubeel Eaqub (Eaqub & Eaqub) (PDF, 130.8KB)
- Urban design – Tim Church (Boffa Miskell Ltd) (PDF, 400.5KB)
- Landscape – Rhys Girvan (Boffa Miskell Ltd) (PDF, 343.9KB)
- Noise - Stephen Peakall (Marshall Day Acoustics) (PDF, 188.5KB)
- Blasting/Vibration – John Heilig (Heilig & Partners Pty Ltd) (PDF, 116.3KB)
- Heritage/Archaeology – Rod Clough (Clough & Associates) (PDF, 111.9KB)
Hearing Report
Council staff and experts assessed what is being proposed by OceanaGold, and in light of the matters raised in submissions and further submissions, a Hearing Report (also known as a Section 42A Report) was prepared and distributed to the applicant, submitters and further submitters. The Hearing Report, and associated Appendices can be found below:
Hearing Report
Hearing Report Appendix 1: Plan Change Application
Hearing Report Appendix 2: Request for Further Information
- HDC Further Information Request (PDF, 590.9KB)
- Mansergh Graham Landscape Architects Request for Additional Information (PDF, 501KB)
- Market Economics Ltd – Economic and Land Supply Assessment Review (PDF, 208.8KB)
- Map (PDF, 463.8KB)
- Section 5.17 – Martha Mineral Zone Provisions (PDF, 586.9KB)
- Mitchell Daysh – 4 May 2023 response to RFI request (PDF, 2.8MB)
- WSP Social Review of Planning Assessment (PDF, 63.7KB)
- HDC Request for Further Information to Mitchell Daysh Ltd (PDF, 580.8KB)
- Mitchell Daysh – 17 October 2023 response re RFI request (PDF, 143.5KB)
- Mitchell Daysh – 6 October 2023 response to RFI request (PDF, 280.5KB)
Hearing Report Appendix 3: Submissions on Proposed Plan Change 6
Hearing Report Appendix 4: Further Submissions
Hearing Report Appendix 5: Further Information provided by the Applicant following the close of Submissions/Further Submissions
Hearing Report Appendix 6: Specialist Assessments on behalf of Hauraki District Council
- Landscape, Natural Character and Visual Amenity - Dave Mansergh (Mansergh Graham Landscape Architects) (PDF, 1MB)
- Urban Design - Michael Graham (Mansergh Graham Landscape Architects) (PDF, 1.1MB)
- Historic Heritage - Neville Ritchie (PDF, 197KB)
- Geotechnical - Peter Fuller (Dalmour PTY ltd) (PDF, 664KB)
- Economics - Tom Harris & Greg Akehurst (m.e Consulting) (PDF, 548.4KB)
- Acoustics (noise) - Nigel Lloyd (Acousafe Consulting and Engineering Ltd) (PDF, 701.2KB)
- Social - Robert Quigley (Quigley & Watts Ltd) (PDF, 235.1KB)
- Transportation - John Kaczon (Pinnacles Civil) (PDF, 375.6KB)
- Blasting/Vibration - Dr Cameron McKenzie (Blastechnology) (PDF, 93.6KB)
- Ecology - Gerry Kessels (Bluewattle Ecology) (PDF, 272KB)
Hearing Report: Appendix 7: Summary of Submissions and Further Submissions and Recommendations
Hearing Report: Appendix 8: Recommended Changes to Planning Provisions (as a result of Proposed Plan Change 6)
Public Notification and Submissions
Public notification of Proposed Plan Change 6 occurred on 15 February with the submission period running until 28 March 2024. In total 78 submissions were received.
A Summary of the Decisions Requested in submissions was prepared and further submissions were called for from 16 May 2024. By the close of the further submission period (on 30 May 2024) three further submissions had been received.
A copy of the Summary of Decisions Requested, the full submissions and the further submissions can be found below:
Plan Change Application Documents
A summary of ‘Proposed Plan Change 6: Extension of Martha Mineral Zone’ is below (in the Notification Summary), along with the full application (which includes supporting documents and technical assessments).
- Planning Assessment/Application (PDF, 3.4MB)
- Application appendix 1: Proposed Changes to the Hauraki District Plan (Section 5.17: Martha Mineral Zone and Section 8.3 Amenity Matters [specifically Noise]) (PDF, 930.1KB)
- Application appendix 2: Compendium of Figures (PDF, 7.7MB)
- Application appendix 3: Schedule of Rezoned Properties (& Certificates of Title for each) (PDF, 1.2MB)
- Application appendix 4: Urban Design Assessment (PDF, 9.1MB)
- Application appendix 5: Land Supply Assessment (PDF, 3.3MB)
- Application appendix 6: Economic Assessment (PDF, 525.5KB)
- Application appendix 7: Landscape Assessment (PDF, 8.8MB)
- Application appendix 8: Transportation Assessment (PDF, 1.8MB)
- Application appendix 9: Noise Assessment (PDF, 8.5MB)
- Application appendix 10: Vibration Assessment (PDF, 2.6MB)
- Application appendix 11: Ecology Assessment (PDF, 3.6MB)
- Application appendix 12: Heritage Assessment (PDF, 7.9MB)
- Application appendix 13: Geotechnical Assessment (PDF, 156.8KB)
- Application appendix 14: Social Impact Assessment (PDF, 1.5MB)
- Application appendix 15: Engagement Summary (PDF, 2.2MB)
Further Information
If further information on ‘Proposed Plan Change 6: Extension of Martha Mineral Zone’, or the plan change process is required, do not hesitate to contact either Marina van Steenbergen or Leigh Robcke at Hauraki District Council (07 862 8609).
