Teetering relic of goldmining to get new home

A goldmining relic in Waihi is on the move to a new home.

The 100-year-old concrete pumphouse, estimated to weigh 1500 tonnes, is tilting and in danger of falling down a 400m mine shaft if it is not moved.

The 16m-high pumphouse has the highest historic classification it can get but has been developing a lean in the last few years.

There were fears if it was not moved it would fall into a long-unused mining pit.

The pumphouse will now be put on rails and moved about 250m to a new site at the top end of town, at a cost of up to $4 million.

The cost would be met by Newmont Waihi Gold, the company which is mining gold in an open-cast pit behind the town. Part of the gold company's mining licence includes a requirement to protect the pumphouse, which meant moving it if necessary, said Hauraki District Council Mayor John Tregidga.

The pumphouse would be strengthened in the next few weeks and probably moved in June or July next year by the same company that hoisted the five-storey, 3500-tonne Museum Hotel in Wellington onto railway bogies and moved it 120m to a new home on the Lambton Harbour development 10 years ago.

The pumphouse has been off limits to the public for several years because it had tilted 60cm past the perpendicular and was not considered safe.

"It has had quite a bit of movement in the last few months. It has shown some further movement."

The future of the pumphouse has been a talking point in the town for several years.

Part of the shaft beneath collapsed a few years ago and there were fears that another collapse could bring the building down.

The pumphouse has been a landmark in the town for nearly 100 years. It was built in 1904 to keep the mine dry but the boilers, steam engine and pump were superseded by electric pumps in 1913. The mining company did not trust the electric pumps and kept the steam pump in working order as a back-up until 1930, when it was dismantled.

The pumphouse was built from a design used in the Cornwall tin mines of England, and the steam-powered horizontal Cornish pump was the pride of the New Zealand mining industry.

The pump had a 4m stroke and continuously drained the mine workings through the No 5 shaft at a rate of 7000 litres a minute.

Mr Tregidga said it was felt the community would benefit from the move. An entertainment venue was likely to be built around the pumphouse, perhaps featuring replica mines and shafts, to show the area's history of the area.

He said there was little opposition to the move.

- NZPA