Suze Keith
Whare Kaupapa Atawhai
Conservation House
18-32 Manners Street,
fyi-request-32097-
PO Box 10420,
[email address]
Wellington 6011
doc.govt.nz
17 October 2025
Ref: OIAD-5593
Tēnā koe Suze
Thank you for your request to the Department of Conservation (DOC), received on 25 August
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 4 open cast mines, underground mine,
industrial cyanide processing plant, permanent waste tailings dam, engineered land forms
and miners caravan park 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 July 19, 2025 until present day.”
We have considered your request under the Official Information Act 1982 (the OIA).
On 19 September 2025, we extended the timeframe for responding to your request to 17
October 2025, due to the substantial volume of information sought and the time required to
compile a response.
This letter is to advise you that I have made a decision on your request but additional time is
needed to finalise material for release. We expect to provide the information by 3 November
2025, sooner if possible.
Decision on your request
During the requested period, DOC received a range of reports from Santana Minerals. These
technical documents are withheld in full due to sensitivities linked to the anticipated Fast-track
consenting application Santana is expected to lodge this year.
Other in scope material, including correspondence, wil be released to you subject to some
information being withheld under section 9 of the OIA.
In making this decision, I have considered the public interest in disclosure under section 9(1) of
the OIA and determined it does not outweigh the reasons for withholding. DOC must balance
the public interest against the need to avoid prejudicing Santana’s ability to lodge an application.
Please refer to the document schedule below for the decision reached for all material in scope
of this request.
Additional information we wil provide in lieu of withheld reports
I have also made a decision to release to you high-level summaries of the withheld reports
under section 16(1)(e) of the OIA.
As always, my decision on your timebound request reflects the information available at a
specific point in time. Should a Fast-track application be lodged, I anticipate that additional
information may be released in response to future requests for official information.
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.
Please note that 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
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Document schedule
Date
Document description
Decision
19 July to 25
Email correspondence
Partial release
August 2022
14 August 2025 Word document:
Partial release
Technical Expert Assessment – Darcy Liddell
– Permissions Ad
22 August 2025 Word document:
Partial release
Fastrack - Matt Schmidt review of heritage
assessments
24 August 2025 Word document:
Partial release
MEMO - Fast Track – FTA107 – Bendigo-
Ophir Gold Project – freshwater advice – N
Dunn 240825 - DOC-10432564
5 June 2025
Air Quality Assessment of Effects.pdf
Withheld in full
under sections
9(2)(b)(i ) and
section 9(2)(ba)(i)
Summary to be
provided under
section 16(1)(e)
2 July 2025
PDP -Air Quality Management Plan.pdf
Withheld in full
under section
9(2)(b)(i ) and
section 9(2)(ba)(i)
Summary to be
provided under
section 16(1)(e)
June 2025
Landcare Research - Applied Research Plan
Withheld in full
for conservation management, rehabilitation
under section
and expansion of cushionfield.pdf
9(2)(b)(i ) and
section 9(2)(ba)(i)
Summary to be
provided under
section 16(1)(e)
27 June 2025
Marshall Day Acoustics -Noise and Vibration
Withheld in full
Management Plan.pdf
under section
9(2)(b)(i ) and
section 9(2)(ba)(i)
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Summary to be
provided under
section 16(1)(e)
11 July 2025
Landscape Mitigation Plan.pdf
Withheld in full
under section
9(2)(b)(i ) and
section 9(2)(ba)(i)
Summary to be
provided under
section 16(1)(e)
30 July 2025
Greg Ryder Consulting -Water Quality
Withheld in full
Compliance Limits.pdf
under section
9(2)(b)(i ) and
section 9(2)(ba)(i)
Summary to be
provided under
section 16(1)(e).
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