After months of anticipation, mining company Santana Minerals has lodged a fast-track resource consent application for its controversial Bendigo-Ophir Gold Project in the hills above Cromwell - a proposal billed as the largest new gold development in New Zealand in more than a generation. 

The application, now before the government’s fast-track approvals panel, includes nearly 9,400 pages of documentation and 135 technical reports covering everything from water and ecology to

landscape, heritage and mine rehabilitation. 

Santana Minerals chief executive Damian Spring said the milestone reflected “years of serious technical work and deep environmental assessment by New Zealand experts”. 

“We have secured the land, completed the science, consulted locally and built a credible, long-term plan,” Damian said.  

“As a Kiwi-led team, we are committed to showing how modern resource development can be done responsibly, maintaining environmental integrity, strengthening regional economies and standing

behind our rehabilitation commitments.” 

The company has entered binding agreements to acquire blocks of Bendigo and Ardgour stations, securing land for the mine and infrastructure, with settlement subject to Overseas Investment Office approval. 

If approved, the mine is expected to produce up to 120,000 ounces of gold a year over a 14-year life, generating 351 full-time jobs, another 463 indirect roles, $5.8B in GDP, and $1.8B in government revenue, according to the company. 

Damian said the fast-track system, which replaces traditional Resource Management Act consenting for projects deemed of national or regional significance, provides “certainty”. 

“I’ve permitted projects under previous RMA systems, and the fast-track process demands equal, if not greater, rigour,” he said.  

“What it does bring is certainty, and that matters for investment, regional jobs and national productivity.” 

The project has attracted strong public interest and some high-profile opposition. 

Prominent Central Otago figures, including actor Sam Neill, have spoken out against large-scale mining in the region, warning of the environmental and reputational risks, particularly to Central Otago’s

tourism and viticulture sectors. 

Community groups have also raised concerns about the fast-track process itself, arguing it allows major developments to bypass full public consultation and limits opportunities for local input. 

The project now awaits assessment under the government’s fast-track approvals process.

Members of the public will need to wait a little longer to view the application documents, which are not yet available on the government’s fast-track website.

A Santana Minerals spokesperson said it typically takes the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) one to three weeks to complete initial checks before an application is published online.

In recent days Santana Minerals also launched a Facebook page, with its first post seeking to highlight its local ties. 

A short Facebook video features clips of Central Otago-based employees talking about their personal connections to the area - from growing up on a neighbouring farm to meeting childhood

sweethearts nearby. 

Read more: Anti-mining meeting draws strong turnout in Cromwell