B-2 – Area 2 - Assessment of Environmental Effects 13 Figure 6: Willows Road Farm historic heritage features (Clough 2022). Historically, water for the Waihi gold mines was taken from the Mataura and Waitete Streams and the Ohinemuri River. The Mataura Stream was part of a network of historic water races (channels) used to provide hydraulic energy to mining and processing sites for sluicing, for the operation of hydraulic elevating technology and ore-processing machinery, and to remove tailings and other wastes. The Mataura Stream Water Race (Figure 7) was a wooden intake dam on the Mataura Stream, near the current boundary of the Willows Road Farm with the CFP, and an earthen channel, following topography to Walmsley Creek at the south-west. It is recorded as NZAA site T13/961. Clough (2021) report that it has limited heritage value as it “…has been significantly modified by levelling and infilling so retains none of its original profile and fabric. Its alignment is all that remains along some sections of the Race as a benched track, while in other areas there is no visible surface evidence”. The remnant feature, near the location of the Mataura Stream intake, is shown below.
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