He confirmed that if the consents are granted, this would allow for necessary infrastructure as part of its proposals to mine under public conservation land at Wharekirauponga between Waihi and Whangamata.
Wharekirauponga is public conservation land and a stronghold for the critically endangered native Archey's Frog.
It is also deemed nationally significant and a Significant Natural Area in the Hauraki District Plan.
"We believe we could mine the resource sensitively and respectfully using proven underground methods," said Hine. "And although we have tested enough rock to be confident that the gold discovered at the site could support a mine, we still need to finalise significant, detailed studies before we apply for resource consents.
"Mining would only occur if it can be undertaken in a way that safeguards cultural, social, recreational and environmental values."
He confirmed OceanaGold was granted permission from the council to occupy up to four small areas of road reserve near DoC land.
"These small areas of unformed road reserve - paper roads - would be investigated as potential sites for drilling and subsequently ventilation raises that would support our proposed underground mine at Wharekirauponga."
None of the activities would impede public access, he said.
"We recognise the significance and sensitivity of Wharekirauponga and its ecology, which is an important recreational area for walkers, hunters and campers and home to precious native flora and fauna species. That's why any potential mining operation we may undertake in the future would only be underground – not at the surface level."
Mayor Adams said the decision to grant a Licence to Occupy was made in accordance with the council's Significance and Engagement Policy.
He said consultation with iwi, along with DoC, stakeholders and the community, would be expected by the applicant prior to any significant mining activity being proposed.
In the report to the council, it said staff consider the council had "enough of an understanding of community views and preferences on this matter" to not consult on the licence.
However, the same report acknowledged other parties were "highly likely to disagree" with the recommendation.
DoC Director General of Conservation Penny Nelson had "strong concerns" about the licence to occupy permit.
"The D-G considers that the licence effectively shifts the decision-making process away from DoC's legislative mandate, which is to ensure the conservation of the Wharekirauponga Forest ecosystem," wrote DoC operations manager Hauraki, Avi Holzapfel.
Proposed conditions to protect wildlife, including "frog exclusion fences", appeared to be copied over from DoC's access agreement on conservation land. These may not be lawful for the council to use or enforce, he noted.
HDC should be consulting seven tangata whenua groups to fulfil its legal obligations under the Treaty of Waitangi and the Local Government Act.
It was also "not appropriate" for HDC to wait for the resource consent process to assess ecological effects.
As of Monday this week, HDC had not received any applications in relation to mining activities on the road reserve or for the establishment of a mine at Wharekirauponga.
But Mayor Adams said the council is aware direct referral to the Environment Court is one consenting pathway open to OceanaGold.
The company expects to lodge consents in 2022, after finalising its programmes of work.
"We are still investigating the consenting options available to us," said Matt Hine.
"Regardless of our consenting pathway, and prior to applying for consent, we are conducting a comprehensive stakeholder engagement programme, which includes opportunities for all our stakeholders to provide input into the final project design.
"Once we have lodged the consent application, the project will also be publicly notified, which means anyone who wishes to can make a submission on the project."
The Green Party launched a campaign calling on the Minister for Conservation, Kiritapu Allan, and Minister for Energy, Megan Woods, to fulfil a promise the Prime Minister made in 2017 to ban new mines on conservation land.
Former Environment Minister Eugenie Sage said the Government urgently needs to ban any new or expanded mines on conservation land.
"There is good reason for Ministers Allan and Woods to act immediately. At some point in the next few weeks, the multinational mining company OceanaGold is planning to lodge resource consents asking the councils to approve its plans to mine for gold beneath one of only two remaining habitats for Aotearoa New Zealand's Archey's frog.
"Archey's frog is the smallest of our four native frogs and one of the rarest and most endangered in the world. It is a perfect example of what the Government promised to protect when it committed to banning new mining on conservation land four years ago."
The Waihi North project includes:
• A new open pit directly to the west of the OceanaGold Waihi processing plant
• Increasing tailings storage capacity by constructing a third tailings storage facility (TSF3) immediately east of the current facilities and adding tailings storage within the Gladstone open pit on completion of mining
• A rock storage facility to the north of the current tailings storage facilities (Northern Rock Stack)
• Increasing throughput capacity at OceanaGold's existing processing plant.
The open pit expansion would follow, though the company says it may be "some time" before it resumes working on a resource consent application for pit expansion which would include:
• Numerous road stoppages and realignments
• Relocation of the historic Cornish Pumphouse
• Removal of a portion of the PYE building and some company-owned houses
• Moving the eastern noise bund and a subsequent Eastern Stream realignment to the vicinity of Grey St, and construction of noise screens around other sections of the pit perimeter to mitigate the impact of noise on residents
• A lift on the proposed Tailings Storage Facility (TSF3)
• An increase in volume for the proposed Northern Rock Stack (NRS)
