Rising gold prices could have miners flocking to the West Coast. 

The regional council has told Local Democracy Reporting it's bracing for an influx of miners new to the industry, and its environmental rules. 

Resource Management Chair Brett Cummings —who's a gold miner— warns the council’s consent workload will likely intensify. 

Development West Coast Chief Executive Heath Milne told Mike Hosking the demand is real. 

He says the value of gold at the Federation mine has jumped from $2.5 billion to $3.6 billion. 

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