GRD Macraes says it wants to be able to begin work on its proposed Reefton gold mine two days after its board gives the go-ahead.
The Buller District and West Coast Regional Councils approved all but three of the 87 consents sought by the Australian goldmining company on Friday.
Company secretary Angus Kennedy-Perkins said the consent was significant.
But there were a number of steps to work through, including an appeal period and renegotiating a 1994 access agreement with the Conservation Department. GRD Macraes proposes digging a huge open-cast pit at Globe Hill, 6km south of Reefton, to extract at least 100,000 ounces of gold a year.
It estimates the first construction phase would create 208 permanent jobs.
- NZPA
Mining company ready for work at Reefton
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