Hauraki District Council has asked the new government to consider homeowners in Waihi before finalising its proposed Overseas Investment Amendment Bill.

The new bill includes restrictions on overseas companies/people purchasing residential and lifestyle land.

If adopted, this would potentially prevent international mining company OceanaGold from purchasing properties and homes in the Waihi area as part of its operations.

Hauraki District Mayor John Tregidga says one of the consent conditions for the company's Correnso project, which involves mining underneath residential homes in Waihi East, is that in certain circumstances properties must be purchased to address the social and economic well-being of home owners.

'In many instances property purchases have worked well in addressing these issues,” he says.

The proposed new bill would remove the council's ability to enforce existing consent conditions relating to land purchase as well as prevent the establishment of new land purchase conditions on any future mining consents.

'We've made a formal submission asking for the bill to be amended to ensure mining operators continue to be able to purchase residential properties as part of their mining operations and we continue to be able to consider property purchase conditions if issuing resource consents.”

The mayor will speak in support of the submission at a Select Committee hearing in Auckland on March 2.

To view the full submission go to www.hauraki-dc.govt.nz/speaking-for-waihi-homeowners