Waihi North Project: Assessment of Terrestrial Ecological Values & Effects 62138 WNP AEE 60 1953, mitigation actions to minimise death or injury should be included in the management of the vegetation clearance. Such management could include avoidance of vegetation removal during the main bird breeding season (where practicable) or that vegetation removal be preceded by nesting surveys to confirm that any nesting native birds have fledged. Lizard management typically comprises capture and relocation to suitable habitat, however with some uncertainty as to the success of such actions on individual lizards, management should additionally involve restoration and enhancement of habitat for the species. 6.1.2 Indirect effects Potential indirect effects associated with degradation of surrounding vegetation and habitats by way of noise, dust and vibration disturbance, are minor on the basis that such vegetation and habitats are relatively young plantings that generally support low value (common native birds) or disturbancetolerant (copper skinks) fauna. Copper skinks are typically common in northern North Island urban environments, including roadside grasses and scrub. Some reduction in habitat availability to local, common native fauna that currently use the vegetation for foraging, roosting or potentially nesting, causing some level of displacement into surrounding habitats may occur but given the scale relative to the remaining resource in the immediate vicinity (Union Hill, Ngatikoi Domain) we consider this effect to be minor. Given the generally poor habitat quality and low value fauna that may use these habitats, a negligible magnitude of effect of such displacement is considered (with the low value) to result in a very low level of adverse effect. Potential construction and operations related noise and vibrations or dust effects on adjacent vegetation and habitats are considered to be low level effects, given the variously low value vegetation and planted terrestrial habitats. 6.1.3 Recommendations In regard to the pine trees, given that long-tailed bats have very large home ranges, have been recorded less than 10 km from WNP, and have a conservation status of ‘Nationally Critical’ (O’Donnell et al. 2018), bat surveys should be repeated prior to removal of pine trees over 15 cm DBH. While repeated surveys through the WNP area have not recorded bats and they are unlikely to be using the area currently, their flight paths may change over time and therefore preclearance surveys for bats should be undertaken from October 1 to April 31, as per DOC guidelines, and as a precautionary management measure, where vegetation removal involves large trees, including pines. If bats are detected, DOC guidelines will inform the pathway forward. While the potentially affected fauna comprise nationally and locally common species with low ecological value (Roper-Lindsay et al. 2018), such species have legal protection under the Wildlife Act 1953 and measures should be undertaken to avoid and minimise adverse effects on them. Such measures should include careful timing of vegetation removal to avoid the main bird breeding season, and implementation of a lizard management plan that details capture, habitat enhancement and relocation of potentially present native lizards. While the loss of this vegetation is a very low level of effect, and does not require mitigation, the effect could further be reduced to temporary if a similar amount of comparable value is replanted within the existing landscape. The speed of succession in other, remaining planting areas could also be enhanced by enrichment planting.
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