Bay of Plenty Times
  • Bay of Plenty Times home
  • Latest news
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
  • Sport
  • Video
  • Death notices
  • Classifieds

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Residential property listings
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
  • Sport

Locations

  • Coromandel & Hauraki
  • Katikati
  • Tauranga
  • Mount Maunganui
  • Pāpāmoa
  • Te Puke
  • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua

Media

  • Video
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-Editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

Weather

  • Thames
  • Tauranga
  • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Bay of Plenty Times

Rockfall at mine like 'bomb going off'

Sandra Conchie
By Sandra Conchie
Multimedia Journalist, Bay of Plenty Times·Bay of Plenty Times·
29 Apr, 2016 03:30 AM3 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

A large rock slip in Waihi's Martha open pit gold mine. Photo / Melanie Camoin

A large rock slip in Waihi's Martha open pit gold mine. Photo / Melanie Camoin

One Waihi resident who witnessed a large rock fall at Martha open pit gold mine described the sound as like a series of bombs going off and is now concerned more rocks may come down.

An estimated two million tonnes of rock and rubble collapsed from the north wall of the Waihi mine early on Tuesday further delaying plans to re-enter the mine.

Oceanagold senior community advisor Kit Wilson said the slip was not unexpected.

Jennifer Horgan, a social worker at Waihi Resource Centre, said she was returning from her walk along the fenced-off pit rim about 7.30am on Tuesday when she saw rocks coming down.

"I was almost back at the pump house and saw the mine rescue team standing there watching the slip. I was just about to leave when I heard an almighty explosion.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"I thought a bomb had gone off." Ms Horgan said what followed sounded like a series of explosions that "went on for ages".

"It was an amazing sight. I was gobsmacked. Where the slip started was right where the old pit rim walkway had been diverted and fenced off a few weeks ago because of the potential risk of the wall collapsing. It's an area I have walked many times," she said.

Ms Horgan said her main concern was if there was a further major slip it may mean the walkway was further diverted limiting viewing access to the pit rim.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Mr Wilson said the company had been monitoring the north wall's movement using sophisticated radar equipment since Oceanagold bought the mine on November 1 last year, and following a smaller slip in April last year.

Since the April 2015 slip there had been only limited work in the open pit, all of it well away from any potential rockfall area.

"Our plan was always to resume work in the mine if this could be done safely.

"That plan has not changed, but it may take a while longer now," he said.

Discover more

Business

Rocks the size of houses fall at mine

26 Apr 10:51 AM

Hauraki Mayor John Tregidga said at this stage it was too early to predict what impact this failure would have on future mining within the pit.

"But the council will be working with the company on options to remediate the failure and explore what this may mean for the company's future mining in the pit," he said

Green Party MP Catherine Delahunty said residents who had contacted her were concerned about the legacy for the town if the pit kept collapsing.

Save

    Share this article

Latest from Bay of Plenty Times

Bay of Plenty Times

'Current hotspot': Back-to-back national titles for Tauranga basketballers

10 Jul 06:13 AM
Bay of Plenty Times

Kaitiaki fight pathogen endangering iconic Mauao pōhutukawa

10 Jul 06:03 AM
Bay of Plenty Times

'Highly venomous': Deadly sea snake washes up on Coromandel beach

10 Jul 05:38 AM

From early mornings to easy living

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Bay of Plenty Times

'Current hotspot': Back-to-back national titles for Tauranga basketballers

'Current hotspot': Back-to-back national titles for Tauranga basketballers

10 Jul 06:13 AM

The Under-18 and Under-20 women's teams won their championships.

Kaitiaki fight pathogen endangering iconic Mauao pōhutukawa

Kaitiaki fight pathogen endangering iconic Mauao pōhutukawa

10 Jul 06:03 AM
'Highly venomous': Deadly sea snake washes up on Coromandel beach

'Highly venomous': Deadly sea snake washes up on Coromandel beach

10 Jul 05:38 AM
Heavy rain warning likely for BoP – MetService

Heavy rain warning likely for BoP – MetService

10 Jul 12:40 AM
Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • Bay of Plenty Times e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the Bay of Plenty Times
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP