Green Party MP Catherine Delahunty has hit out at mining company OceanaGold's plans to expand their explorations underneath Waihi.

The Coromandel MP says the company's plans to expand the goldmine shows an 'urgent need” for the Government to support her new bill that protects communities from the destruction and damage of mining.

Green Party Coromandel MP Catherine Delahunty plans to submit a Member Bill which would ban mining within 300m of residential properties. Photo: File

She says according to reports yesterday, OceanaGold will be expanding their explorations and already have the resource consents to do so.

Delahunty is now planning to submit a Members Bill in next week's ballot which would ban mining within 300m of residential property.

'Underground gold mining, such as what OceanaGold are planning for the whole of Waihi, shakes houses, destroys people's mental health, and impacts on property values,” she says.

'People affected by the extension of mining in Waihi shouldn't have their rights to live peacefully in their own homes literally undermined by a multinational company wanting to make even bigger profits.”

Delahunty says the people of East Waihi have already had a really tough time from goldmining and now their worst fears have been realised as OceanaGold expands its operations into West Waihi.

'People in East Waihi feel trapped because they need to either sell up or live with the impacts of blasting and vibration under their houses. Now the other side of town is threatened.”

'Waihi is an economically vulnerable community, despite the millions of dollars of gold that have been mined from it,” adds Delahunty.

But OceanaGold external affairs coordinator Kit Wilson says Delahunty is attempting to relitigate consent conditions which were determined in consultation with the community over two years ago.

OceanaGold was not planning underground mining for the whole of Waihi but were continuing to explore areas of interest like many companies on the Coromandel Peninsula, says Kit.

'Ms Delahunty's statements do not bear close scrutiny,” he says. 'They are ill informed exaggerations at best, or deliberate misrepresentations of the facts at worst.”

Kit says recent research, carried out as part of their Social Impact Management Plan, shows the majority of Waihi residents and local businesses were in favour of mining in Waihi.

He adds that Waihi Gold contributes significant amounts of money each to local schools and community organisations and will also continue to do so.

'OceanaGold employs many local people and buy from local businesses where they are able to supply our requirements.

'We suggest that Ms Delahunty talk to local business owners and the wider Waihi community, and that she should reflect on what Waihi would be like without the economic benefits of gold mining.”