The Golden Cross mine is situated in a sensitive
environmental setting on the North Island of New Zealand, about 150 kilometres
south-east of Auckland and about 8 kilometres NW of Waihi. The mine is situated
in dipping topography, with volcanic ashes making up soils, fault zones running
through the area, and rainfall of about 3 m per year on average. Water
management is the most demanding environmental challenge on site, and a
comprehensive programme has been put in place to address tailings deposition,
long term tailings storage, and water treatment during and after
operations.

The tailings impoundment is built
with an underdrainage system that collects groundwaters and waters that seep
through the impoundment. The embankment and impoundment are both built to
withstand the Maximum Credible Earthquake and the Probable Maximum Flood.
Tailings are treated to remove cyanide and to decrease metal solubility to
reduce long term risk to water quality after mining. A state-of-the-art water
treatment plant is utilised to treat water from the underdrainage system and
water decanted from the top of the tailings pond and stormwaters to remove
residual cyanide and metals to extremely high standards with a great deal of
reliability and at reasonable cost. Closure
of the facility addresses long term post mining water quality issues, and
rehabilitation of the area with wildlife habitat as a
priority.