In a video posted to Instagram, Neill said he stood by his opposition to “a big, actually a vast, open-cast goldmine that has proposed to be fast-tracked in my neighbourhood, in central Otago”.
“I stand by those views, and I’m glad I voiced them,” he said.
“What I wasn’t prepared for was the personal abuse I would come in for.”
Neill said the backlash included criticism from Resources Minister Shane Jones.
“And that started with Shane Jones … he chose to make this personal, and I’m baffled as to why he would do that … he’s a guy I don’t understand. Not at all.”
He said some online responses from supporters of the mine had gone further.
“The amount of personal abuse that came in online, all over the shop, was frankly very shocking and disturbing, including threats of physical violence.
The Bendigo-Ophir project is Australian mining company Santana Mineral’s core focus. Photo / Supplied
“There’s some very unpleasant people among the supporters of this mine. I’m not saying they’re all like that, but boy, there are some loose cannons.”
Neill also criticised a recent column by commentator Damien Grant on Stuff, calling it “extremely personal”.
“He’s another one who doesn’t seem to think I deserve an opinion about anything,” Neill said.
“The fight goes on … and we really need to stop this filthy mine. That will be the end of everything.”
The proposal is currently being assessed through the Government’s fast-track approvals process, with a decision expected by late October.
Ben Tomsett is a multimedia journalist based in Dunedin. He joined the Herald in 2023.