Graphic: All about local mining the main gallery of the mine runs parallel to the main street. Mining in Fairfield in early years was for the purpose of extracting various metals as well as coal. This area is the most interesting geologically site in New Zealand.
Some of these mines are now under the new Faifield motorway and this created substantial problems requiring considerable stabilising measures to ensure there will be no collapse of the areas which were previously mined.
The new Fairfield Motorway is due for completion in February 2002.
