Suze Keith
Whare Kaupapa
Atawhai/Conservation
fyi-request-31413-
House - 18 Manners
[email address]
Street, Box 10420,
Wellington 6140
15 August 2025
doc.govt.nz
Ref: OIAD-5384
Tēnā koe Suze,
Thank you for your request to the Department of Conservation (DOC), received on 27 June
2025, in which you asked for:
1. I would like all correspondence, reports, documents, meeting minutes, file notes, etc,
you have on record regarding the proposal to develop a series of open cast goldmines in
the Bendigo Ophir - Dunstan Mountains area by Matakanui Gold / Santana Minerals.
Regardless of whether they are associated with fast track consenting or any other
process.
2. From May 26, 2025 until present day.
We have considered your request under the Official Information Act 1982 (the OIA).
On 24 July 2025, we extended the timeframe to respond to your request by 15 working days
due to the large quantity of information sought and the consultation necessary to make a
decision on the request.
Your request is being addressed with two separate responses (due to who holds the various
information being sought), and I understand that Aaron Fleming, Regional Operations Director,
sent you some information in scope of your request on 14 August 2025.
Please find attached the remaining information in scope of your request. Unless otherwise noted,
this response covers the period 26 May 2025 until the date of your request – 27 June 2025.
Please note the information and documents provided to DOC by Santana Minerals Ltd reflect a
specific point in time and may not represent what is now held by DOC. I note further information
is currently being assessed for release for a further request for official information (OIAD-5481).
I have decided to release the relevant parts of the documents in the document schedule, subject
to information being withheld under one or more of the following sections of the OIA, as
applicable:
• personal information, under section 9(2)(a) – to protect the privacy of natural persons,
including deceased people,
• commercially sensitive information, under section 9(2)(b)(i ) – to protect the commercial
position of the person who supplied the information, or who is the subject of the
information,
• information provided in confidence, under section 9(2)(ba)(i) – to protect information
where release would prejudice the ongoing supply of similar information.
• Free and frank expression under section 9(2)(g)(i) – to maintain the effective conduct of
public affairs,
• Confidential information, under section 9(2)(j) – to enable the Crown to negotiate
without disadvantage or prejudice, and
• Legal y privileged information, under section 9(2)(h) – to maintain legal professional
privilege.
Additionally, the following document falls in scope of your request as an attachment to Item 1 in
the below document schedule. The content of this document is commercially sensitive, and a
decision has been made to withhold it in full under section 9(2)(b)(i ):
• 19 May 2025 -
SML MGL Memo DOC Information Request - Final
In making my decision, I have considered the public interest considerations in section 9(1) of the
OIA and determined there are no public interests that outweigh the grounds for withholding.
You are entitled to seek an investigation and review of my decision by writing to an
Ombudsman as provided by section 28(3) of the OIA.
This letter (with your personal details removed) and attached documents may be published on
DOC’s website.
Nāku noa, nā
Siobhan Quayle
Director Regulatory Systems Performance
Department of Conservation
Te Papa Atawhai
2
Document schedule
Item
Date
Document description
Decision
1
29 May 2025 Email correspondence
Released in part
Formal Notification Letter - Santana Minerals
1A
29 May 2025
Santana Formal Consultation Letter -
Released in part
Department of Conservation
1B
19 May 2025 Email correspondence
Released in part
DOC Pre-lodgement consultation request BOGP
2
5 June 2025
Bendigo Ophir Gold Project - Fast-track Triage
Released in part
DRAFT
3
9 June 2025
DOC Response Santana Minerals Ltd
Released in full
4
11 June 2025 Email correspondence
Released in part
Bendigo Ophir Gold Fast-track project potential
timelines
5
16 June 2025
Bendigo-Ophir Gold Project Treaty Settlements
Released in part
Table
6
24 July 2025
Bendigo FT Project Team - kick off meeting
Released in part
slides
3
