Tamah Alley said Mr Jones, who also told the Otago Daily Times Central Otago was "pregnant with mining potential", had possibly misrepresented what the region was, and what it entailed. Mr Jones yesterday said he was "quite familiar with the Otago area" and would take up any invitation he received, subject to logistics. Mr Jones described Central Otago as "largely empty", while criticising a celebrity-backed fundraiser to oppose Santana Minerals’ Bendigo-Ophir gold project. Mrs Alley said Mr Jones had not acknowledged the "thriving industries" in Central Otago, which not only supported the local economy but GDP on a national scale. Cromwell Community Board chairwoman Anna Harrison said Central Otago was bustling, vibrant and full of growing communities who valued open spaces.

Source: Otago Daily Times January 20, 2026 21:36 UTC