Part of Megan’s role involves managing and mitigating the potential environmental impacts of mining. Megan explains there is a lot to consider in her work at Endura Mining’s Snowy River Mine.
“It's definitely not easy to mine in New Zealand from a regulatory perspective, which is good a thing as it provides reassurance around your project’s environmental risks—I would rather mine in a country where companies are held to stringent resource consent requirements and any impacts are managed appropriately. We work with various stakeholders like Buller District Council and West Coast Regional Council, Department of Conservation (DOC), and Ngāti Waewae around our land use and native species. For example, DOC have been assisting us onsite for native bat monitoring and ensuring we don’t disturb areas where bats are actively roosting.
“It’s a big job to make sure we're meeting all these requirements, and we are always looking at ways to reduce any environmental risks.”
Snowy River Mine is still in its development stage, but Megan’s environmental science educational background, and previous contract work with DOC and volunteering efforts, are a key asset for the site.
“I saw an entry level job going at OceanaGold, in a small town on the West Coast. It was meant to be for 18 months, but I worked with them for about eight years and was one of the last staff members for the mine closure aspects. I moved onto Endura Mining just recently and was already familiar with the project. Over the years, I’ve learned and absorbed so much from all these amazing people I got to work with. I want to be here to see the first gold bar being poured and right up until closure of Snowy River Mine.”
The closure of a mine is of utmost importance to ensure environmental impacts are addressed and minimised long after the staff are gone.
“In 2026, there's a huge environmental focus in the industry. What we don't want are any legacy issues after mining has occurred. We want to leave the site after we've mined in a safe and sustainable way that isn't going to have any mine leaching or anything like that. We have a Rehabilitation and Closure Plan that I review and update and an adaptive management approach to result in as little challenges as possible.”
Megan’s journey into the industry shows how there is no single path to it, and once you get there, it’s a great career to have.
“It’s pretty exciting stuff. It's very busy with lots going on. You can always learn more by talking to someone different. I hadn't spent much time underground prior to working at Snowy River Mine, so getting to go under there, seeing what the miners do and learning from them is always really interesting.”
Her role is varied: one day might include field work such as water sampling or collecting rocks for geochemistry analysis, while another might involve meeting stakeholders to discuss project updates, or pulling together data to ensure Endura Mining continues to meet their environmental obligations.
“If it's going to be freezing cold and bit miserable outside, I might take the time to do invoicing or report work. At the moment, it's blue skies, so I'm checking on the hydro seeding campaign that we've got going on. Then I might do my water sampling around the rivers. My job is a nice blend of indoor and outdoor.”
There are also numerous opportunities for new entrants to explore sites firsthand and build valuable connections within the close-knit industry that can set them up for a long and successful career.
“Endura Mining have really good entry level salaries, roles, and progression of training. You could start on a truck, and then a few years down the track, end up on a jumbo. We also run a student summer programme, bringing students in, showing them what we're doing, giving them a paid role, and hopefully employ them full-time as the site gets bigger and we need those numbers.”
