Anti-mining protesters will march on Waikato Regional Council headquarters today as they continue to push their case for water issues posed by the proposed mining activities in Karangahake Gorge.

Project Karangahake believe the regional council need to put safety first and protect the waters of the Waitawheta and Ohinemuri rivers from New Talisman Gold Mines' planned activities.

Anti-mining protesters outside the Hauraki District Council building in Paeroa last November. Photo: Supplied.

The peaceful protest follows a similar event last November, when the group produced evidence from a retired Waikato University Professor who believes mining operations in the gorge would lead to contamination of the area's drinking water.

The affidavit from Dr Chris Hendy, a retired Professor of Chemistry from Waikato University, shows the activities consented would produce the risk of heavy metals leaching into the Waitawheta and Ohinemuri rivers.

Chris has previously studied the Talisman mine, which proved that the activities will cause acid mine drainage to leach into the two rivers.

November's protest coincided with a New Zealand Petroleum and Minerals representative meeting with Hauraki District councillors.

NZMP is the government department that issued New Talisman Gold Mine a mining permit to incorporate the Rahu exploration permit into the existing one.

Lodged in August, the application for the 390-plus hectare extension is beside its current mining permit in the Karangahake Gorge, which includes almost 300 hectares of land, bringing the total area to almost 690.

The anti-mining group believe the regional council overlooked the need for a water discharge consent, despite having granted New Talisman a consent to take up to 300 cubic metres of water per day.

Coromandel Watchdog manager Ruby Powell says today's protest will be a peaceful protest but the group wants to send a strong message that the area is too precious to mine.

'The mine is upstream of the Paeroa town water supply and these rivers are important assets to the community,” says Ruby.

'We are going to deliver our petition and show them that public interest in protecting these rivers is strong.”

The mining issue first came to light in September when it was discovered that Hauraki District Council had issued resource consent for New Talisman Gold Mines to mine behind the iconic Karangahake Rail Trail between Waihi and Paeroa.