B-1 - Area 1, Coromandel Forest Park – Assessment of Environmental Effects 9 2.4.2 Existing and Consented Mining Activities OGNZL has an ongoing mineral exploration drilling programme within Area 1. It involves: Up to nine drill site locations (comprising a maximum total disturbed area of 0.135 ha); A number of piezometers at the existing drill sites; Two camp sites, one being a standalone camp comprising a total disturbed area of 0.015 ha, and the other being situated at a drill site; Helipads; Water pumps and associated pipes, hoses and tanks; and Minimum impact activities such as geological mapping, geochemical sampling, water flow gauging and geophysical surveys. Surface aspects of the programme are shown in Figure 4 below. All of the current work is located on DOC administered public conservation land. The current drilling programme on the DOC administered land is authorised by and undertaken in accordance with various approvals as detailed in Section 2.7 of the report contained in Part F of these application documents. Permission to conduct exploration related activities within the adjacent DOC estate associated with the Wharekirauponga Underground Mine (“WUG”) was granted in 2016 in the form of an Access Arrangement, which sets out a range of operating requirements and conditions. The first schedule of the Access Arrangement authorises 0.15 ha of vegetation clearance including up to nine drill site locations (comprising a maximum total disturbed area of 0.135ha), one camp site (comprising a total disturbed area of 0.015 ha) and another camp site situated at a drill site, other associated activities including helipads, water pumps and associated pipes, hoses and tanks, and minimum impact activities such as geological mapping, geochemical sampling, and geophysical surveys. To date, eight of the authorised sites have been cleared and drilled over a combined area of 0.1138 ha. The Access Arrangement also requires comprehensive ecological surveys to be undertaken before choosing a site to ensure the sites are void of ‘threatened’ or ‘at risk’ fauna and flora, of particular note is the presence of Archey’s Frogs. To date, 100 potential drill/camp/pump sites have been ecologically surveyed and only eight drill / camp and three pump sites have been found to have flora and fauna values that allow them to be used under the conditions of the Access Arrangement.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MjE2NDg3