Australian-listed company New Age Exploration (NAE) has got approval for two gold prospecting permits in South and Central Otago, for its low impact, two-year, $150,000 work programme. Although modest by industry standards, the programme is one of only a few in the country looking at gold trapped in hard rock, as opposed to alluvial (loose) gold exploration, including some near Waikaia and Roxburgh. The ''Teviot application'' is a few kilometres east of Roxburgh, covering 458.5sq km and the ''Mahinerangi application'', is northeast of Lawrence, covering 417.5sq km. A separate exploration permit would be required to drill. ''NAE is now in an exciting position of being the first to explore the South Otago schist belt for Macraes-style gold deposits within these permits,'' he said in a statement.

Source: Otago Daily Times October 19, 2016 17:26 UTC