Employee testimonial: Charlotte Boyt, Environmental Advisor

As an Environmental Advisor at OceanaGold's Macraes Operation, Charlotte Boyt has carved out a role that perfectly combines her appetite for structure and meeting compliance-driven deadlines, with a more organic and slower pace approach needed to build trust and relationships with local stakeholders.

In undertaking her environmental role, Charlotte monitors and reports on environmental compliance such as water quality, air discharges, noise and vibration to ensure the mine meets its stringent environmental obligations. But she is always focused on the bigger picture - to leave the East Otago community a positive environmental legacy.

Key to her success is the company's ongoing relationships with local iwi - Kāti Huirapa Rūnaka ki Puketeraki, Te Rūnanga o Moeraki and Te Rūnanga o Otakou - and Charlotte has a key seat at the table in these negotiations. It's a role that extends beyond environmental management to engagement, but one that makes so much sense.

She credits the blend - and her success in consistently delivering outcomes - to a management team that sees 'beyond her position description' and values her experience and interest in productive iwi engagement.

"There's a great integrity about OceanaGold - not only within the company but to the region and its people. The company culture invokes a sense of community and that matters to me personally," she said.

"At a site level, that means decisions that I make every day to mitigate our impacts have been informed by experts and by the community who have a large stake in how their environment is protected."

It is Charlotte's mission to continue educating both the company and iwi about each other's priorities by building trust, understanding and compassion and paving a way forward to work together. This has included rolling out cultural awareness training at the Macraes Operation, a model which has received the attention of New Zealand Petroleum and Minerals who have expressed interest in adopting an industry-wide approach.