Summarised by Centrist
A West Coast gold mine has been shut down without notice after waiting 17 months for a resource consent, prompting sharp criticism from Westcoast Mining Ltd and local councillor Allan Birchfield.
The company claims the delays have jeopardised millions in investment and left workers in limbo, accusing the West Coast Regional Council of poor communication, shifting expectations, and bureaucratic paralysis.
Operations at the Kaimata alluvial site were halted on May 30, when council staff ordered mining to stop immediately. In a letter to the council, consultant Chao Wang said the company had complied in good faith but warned the shutdown has placed “significant financial strain on our business and staff.”
Westcoast Mining took over the consent process in January 2024. According to Wang, the process stalled over a mapping error and unnecessary document requests—despite repeated assurances that consent was imminent. The company had already decommissioned two other sites and moved its equipment to Kaimata.
Birchfield, a mining-aligned regional councillor, called the shutdown “absurd,” pointing out that bulk testing is permitted while consents are pending. “Consents used to take months. Now they can take years,” he said. “The government says go for gold, but bureaucrats are stopping us.”
Council officials say the company was “allegedly” operating without consent and blamed high workloads and limited staff. Acting regulatory manager Jo Field acknowledged two periods of three-month delays and admitted that “demand outstrips staff capacity to process.”
Wang says that while the council dithers, his workers, many with families and mortgages, are out of work. “We need clarity. We need to operate. This is millions of dollars at stake.”
The mine now faces a written abatement notice, preventing even basic maintenance or sediment control.
