B-5 – Area 5 - Assessment of Environmental Effects 5 2.2 CULTURAL LANDSCAPE The cultural landscape in which this site sits is described in Chapter 2 of the Overarching Assessment of Environmental Effects (“Overarching AEE”) document. 2.3 ENVIRONMENTAL SETTING Area 5 is located immediately south-east of the Waihi urban area and Union Hill, and north of the Ngāti Koi Reserve. This reserve is to be transferred to Ngāti Tara Tokonui as part of their Deed of Settlement for cultural redress. The reserve is to be jointly administered by Ngāti Tara Tokonui and Hauraki District Council (“HDC”). The site contains existing mining related infrastructure at the existing Waihi Processing Plant (“Processing Plant”) and WTP and also includes Winner Hill and Gladstone Hill. The proposed GOP site would be located south-west of the existing Waihi SFA and encompasses Gladstone Hill and part of the northern flank of Winner Hill. Gladstone Hill reaches an elevation of 170 m above sea level (“asl”) and forms part of a sequence of elevated rounded hills which rise to the east of Waihi. Land cover at the GOP site comprises pasture and a pine plantation, with small pockets of native and exotic trees and rock outcrops. Gladstone Hill is adjacent to areas of mixed native vegetation and pine on Black Hill (Ngāti Koi Reserve) and Union Hill. The Ohinemuri River adjoins the eastern and southwestern boundaries of the site. A small restored inland natural wetland ("Gladstone Wetland”) sits just outside the boundary of the site, and within Ngāti Koi Domain. A small tributary of the Gladstone Wetland extends up into Area 5. The main vehicular access to the Waihi SFA is a gated access on Baxter Road, approximately 1.2 km north of the Baxter Road - State Highway 2 (“SH2”) intersection. Material is transported between the Martha Pit (located in central Waihi), and the ore processing and storage areas (located within the Waihi SFA), by a conveyor which passes beneath State Highway 25 (“SH25”). The general environmental setting for Area 5 is outlined in Figure 3 below.
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