Gold was discovered at Waihi in 1878. In 1987 the modern
Martha Mine opened in the middle of the town of Waihi. Newmont Waihi Gold as the current
licence holder has been operating the mine since 2000. The current open pit was
scheduled to stop production in mid 2006. An underground mine is currently being
developed to the east of the town.

In 2001 serious subsidence issues from historical
underground mine workings outside the mining licence and the forecast closure of
the open pit acted as a catalyst for the development of new communication
initiatives.

In this context Newmont Waihi Gold and the Hauraki District
Council initiated a community consultation process with the people of Waihi. The
Waihi Community Consultation Committee (WCCC) was established in May 2003. After
an initial brief to act as a forum for community participation in closure and
rehabilitation of the Martha Mine, the group
quickly took on a much more proactive role working towards the long-term social,
environmental, cultural, economic and spiritual sustainability of
Waihi.

In the course of over three years of meetings all groups
represented on the committee have presented their views, developed ideas and
established an organisational structure to bring those ideas to fruition. The
challenge now is to work together to consolidate likely options, seek sources of
funding, produce business proposals and implement the plan for the future of
Waihi.

This paper backgrounds the experience to date and describes
the outcomes of the process. For more detail on process considerations this
paper should be read in conjunction with Part C by process facilitators, T Clark
and S Stewart. For more detail on progress towards the group's goals and future
possibilities, this paper should be read in
conjunction with Part B by Vision Waihi Trust CEO, E
Morrow.