Streets of gold?

Press, 10 February 1983, Page 4

Streets of gold?

PA Dunedin The business area of Cromwell was pegged out i yesterday for a gold mining, < scheme which would cost more* than $2.5 million. A partnership of three Christchurch businessmen has applied for a licence to i mine forgold in the area of Cromwell which will be lost ~ with the building of the j Clyde dam. ,j The Bodger-March Mining" Partnership seeks approval to mine for the interval after i owners have left their premises until the Ministry of Works begins work on the dam project. The application is based on evidence that supports the i likelihood of' payable gold i beiiig.found and the partner--ship’s ability and resources to recover the gold in the , i limited.time available. . .1 “The partnership does not

see the application in any way affecting the date that people will be asked to vacate their primises, nor the amount or timing of compensation payments,” said one of the partners, .Mr R. L. Bodger, in Cromwell yesterday. '■ “We do not expect to gain access to the area for mining until it has been taken by the Crown,” he said. “We will, however, serve formal notice on those owners who have not completed their sale to the Ministry of Works and Development.” - ‘ The partnership believes that the rich re-sorted glacial drift gravels which were mined profitably on Cornish Town Point,-directly across the Kawarau River from Cromwell, also exist in the business areas of the town. Five plants, each costing

' about $500,000, are expected to work the site, providing an estimated annual production i of 30,000 field ounces. Work will begin when the : licence comes through, but . this is not expected to be ■ issued for at least nine • months. i Both the Mayor and the ? Town Clerk of Cromwell : were out of town yesterday -. and unavailable for eom- ; ment. . . . : The Bodger-Jlarch partnership is an offshoot of March Construction which has recently completed a $1.4 . million contract relaying 1 sewer and stormwater out- ’ falls with the Cromwell i Borough Council. ?. i . The partnership: has coni siderable experience in gold • mining, having prospected in the Kawarau River and on ; the West Coast. ’