Mineral sand mining for ilmenite, gold, garnet and rare earth elements on Te Tai Poutini/ West Coast farmland provides an important opportunity for low-impact resource extraction sector employment to support thriving local communities. Te Tai Poutini is home to important wetlands and other high value surface water ecosystems, however, and hence careful investigation of hydrological systems coupled with robust water management system design is essential to avoid the potential for adverse environmental effects.
We have combined our extensive knowledge of hydrological systems, investigation techniques, and the resource consenting process with a clear understanding of our clients needs and mining methods to support the development of four new mineral sand and alluvial gold mining operations since 2020. Our fieldwork work includes drilling and aquifer testing programmes and setting up surface and groundwater monitoring systems for baseline hydrological characterisation and operational effects monitoring. We couple this with hydrological modelling, water quality impact assessment, and robust water management system design to ensure potential impacts are identified and avoided, minimised, remedied offset, or compensated in accordance with the effects management hierarchy.
