6 EMROP: Waihi North Project WAI-985-000-PLN-LC-0001_Rev0 clean Figure 2. Locations of Significant Natural Areas around the WNP, Waihi. 1.2 SUMMARY OF ECOLOGICAL VALUES AND EFFECTS Overall, the WNP (Waihi area) will require the removal of approximately 25.7 ha of vegetation, including 11.3 ha of native vegetation (including voluntary plantings), 6.1 ha of pines, and 8.3 ha of Significant Ecological Area (SNA). Terrestrial ecological values within the WNP are generally moderate (SNA 166) to low, with the exception of the presence of ‘high value’ copper skinks (Oligosoma aeneum, ‘At Risk- declining). Fauna habitats and are associated with young (15-20 years old), planted or natural but low-diversity regenerating vegetation. Some areas of planted vegetation provide buffer and connectivity functions, and habitat for planted kānuka, mānuka and kauri trees, localised copper skinks (Not Threatened, Hitchmough et al. 2021) and common native birds. Naturally occurring vegetation at TSF3 is of low value where it comprises part of the southern fragment of SNA 166, a large (57 ha) fragment of young, predominantly native vegetation that supports few threatened kānuka, kauri and pōhutukawa. Smaller vegetation fragments to the east of the SNA 166 southern fragment, within TSF3, are naturally regenerating and have low value, although the Western Fragment (non- SNA) also supports threatened pōhutukawa trees.
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