Site-specific Assessments of Environmental Effects

B-1 - Area 1, Coromandel Forest Park – Assessment of Environmental Effects 80 remote zone, any effects would accrue to a low number of recreational users, but they would not be expecting to encounter industrial noises in such a setting. The location of the proposed four vent raises on legal road within the CFP is likely to have very little effect on tramping and pig hunting generally in the CFP. However, the location of built structures within remote zones is generally incompatible with the expectations of visitors within such settings. There may be adverse effects on those few trampers who are traversing the Coromandel Range on the Wharekirauponga Track and possibly some adverse effects on users of the Corbett Road Track who access as far as the raises, although this is predominantly a pig hunting area. The net effect will remain minor considering the focus of the activities (pig hunting and crossing the Range). Locating the raises to avoid historic tramway lines would minimise effects on recreation access and experiences. These tramway lines –where they exist –are the most obvious forms of track in the area and have potential for future development for improved recreation access. Greenaway (2022) also notes that the use of signs and interpretation near the raises will help make them part of the visitor experience, rather than unexpected. 5.11 AIR QUALITY EFFECTS An assessment of the potential effects as a result of discharges to air from the WNP, is provided in Beca (2022a), a copy of which is provided in Part H of these application documents. Beca (2022a) indicates the nature of air discharges from tunnelling and mining will be the same as those from other mining activities carried out by OGNZL at the Waihi site. The discharges associated with these activities will be: Dust from construction of portals and the ventilation system; Products of combustion from vehicles and dust from tunnelling and mining that are discharged to air via the ventilation system; and The periodic discharge of contaminants from blasting that are discharged to air via the ventilation system. Beca has undertaken dispersion modelling of the effects of the discharge from these vent shafts and concludes they will be of sufficient distance away from any sensitive receivers such that they will have a negligible effect. Adverse effects on vegetation and fauna are not expected due to the very low levels of contaminants that would settle in the surrounding forest. However, there is some uncertainty in respect of how native frogs may be impacted due to their porous skin. This potential effect was accounted for in the Archey’s Frog Assessments addressed in Section 5.2.2 above and the associated management response which will mean the WNP delivers a net benefit to Archey’s frog.

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