Hopes gold mine can reopen later this week

Macraes Oceana Gold mine processing plant, Macraes Flat, New Zealand. Photo / NZPA / Ross Setford

Major earthworks are underway at the country's largest gold mine following a land slip that closed it on Saturday.

Heavy rain caused a huge slip at Macraes open pit operation, about 100km north of Dunedin.

The company that operates the mine, OceanaGold, expects work at the underground mine to resume this week, once the access road is cleared.

Investor relations manager, Sam Pazuki, says it'll take longer for the open pit mine to re-open.

we have a tech team woring to complete a new mine plan for the open pit our estimate is over the next few weeks to have it completed.

Sam Pazuki says the temporary closure isn't having a huge effect on the company's short-term production.

"We expect minimum impact on production. The process plant continues to operate drying on stockpile ore and we're going to continue to process stockpile ore.''