LEAD MINING PROJECT

Waihi Daily Telegraph, Volume XLIX, Issue 9591, 22 August 1949, Page 2

LEAD MINING PROJECT

PROPERTY AT TE AROHA PRELIMINARY SURVEY THOROUGH INVESTIGATION • 4 New Zealand’s first lead mine—at Te Aroha—will probably be in operation in about two years. Preliminary investigations indicate that the site is also rich in gold, silver, zinc and copper. A company shortly to be gazetted expects to spend the intervening period tracing the lead seam, which straddles a ridge in the Tui area, about two miles from Te Aroha.

The history of the area as a potential mining site goes back to the ’nineties. Gold and silver were found there, but the presence of the base metals prevented treatment. Analyses taken .then showed the ore to contain nearly 43 per cent, of lead, 26 per cent, of zinc, and up to 11.96 per cent, of copper. At that time a quantity of ore was mined, but only 30 per cent, of the gold in it could be extracted. Bulk lots of the ore were shipped to Australia, Germany, Japan and Swansea, South Wales. Japan gave an undertaking before the Second Vforld War to accept, at a good price, all the ore that could be produced, but the scheme did not eventuate. The first attempt to work the area was made in 1891. A company was formed at Te Aroha with a nominal capital of £75,000 but so many free shares were distributed that the money available was only

£382. The scheme collapsed. Later, two mining engineers did a certain amount of work on the site and had an offer from Swansea to take not less than 2000 tons of ore a year at £S a ton. The offer was not fulfilled.

Objections Met Mr B. J. Dunseath, of Auckland, l ecame interested in the area a year ago. He proposed to open up the seam, but met objections from 14 separate public bodies and Government departments. “These objections have now been overcome and the Minister of Mines, Mr McLagan, lias granted a 42-year lease of the area,” he said. The whole site, between 200 and 300 acres, was now completely protected by leases and licenses. Our intention, based on the recommendations of leading outside mining engineers, is to examine the area thoroughly, drive in tunnels, put in diamond drills, and obtain cores for analysis. In this way, it is intended to find the strike and dip of the lodes, the extent at depth, and the quality of the ore,” he said. It was not intended to put any objectionable treatment plant near Te Aroha, but at this stage simply to test the ground preparatory to forming a big company, with adequate capital, to open up the area. This would be done according to the findings of the present company. An ore-dressing plant would then be installed and modern selective flotation methods used.

Lack of Foresight "Considering that New Zealand has to import all its lead, zinc and copper, it is surprising that nobody of recent years has had the foresight to make a major trial and find the value of the deposits in the district,” said Mr Dunseath. After present investigations, it might be found there was a different proportion of lead, zinc and copper compared with what was known to-day. These base metals were wanted primarily but the gold and silver automatically extracted would be almost as valuable. Mr Dunseath pointed cut that New Zealand would have to import all its silver once the Waihi mine closed down. If successful, the Te Aroha project could replace Waihi in this respect, absorbing men from the mine at the same time. "We do not know what other minerals and elements might oe found in the initial opening-up work, but the company has the benefit of excellent technical advisers in Australia and the United Kingdom. These advisers will be supplemented soon,” he said.