Supporting Technical Assessments

EMROP: Waihi North Project WAI-985-000-PLN-LC-0001_Rev0 clean 2.6 PLANTING PLAN All replacement planting will be for the purpose of ecological restoration or conservation planting (cf. amenity planting) and only incorporate indigenous plant species found in the WF11 ecosystem type (Singers & Rogers, 2014). WF11 - Kauri, podocarp, broadleaved forest has a Regional IUCN threat status of “Endangered” (Singers et al. 2017) and is characterised by vegetation that occurs in warm and sub-humid to humid areas with rainfall 1000–2500 mm per annum. It is found predominantly on ridge-crests and hillslopes with acidic leached soils (e.g. usually where kauri occurs) or more fertile (granular) soils such as in gullies (e.g. where broadleaved species occur). The vegetation is comprised of podocarp trees such as rimu, tōtara, thin-barked tōtara, miro and tānekaha. Kahikatea is more common in gullies and on alluvial terraces. Broadleaved tree species are often dominant in gullies, and include taraire, tawa, tōwai, kohekohe (coastal to lowland), pūriri, northern rātā, pukatea (damp lowland areas) and rewarewa. Associated understorey shrubs include karamu, kānuka, mānuka, mingimingi, heketara, five-finger, māpou and māmāngi. Replacement plants should represent healthy specimens and be ecosourced from the Coromandel Ecological Region (Colville, Tairua, Thames and Waihi Ecological Districts - Waihi ED may be depauperate of numbers and diversity). Ecosourcing maintains local adaptations and natural genetic relationships of plants within local populations. Ecosourced plants are considered to be more likely to tolerate local environmental conditions and to survive following planting. Tables 9-13 list the recommended plant species, plant numbers, spacing and minimum plant sizes for each of the planting areas. • Plants should be a minimum size 1L or PB2. • Plants must be sourced from a New Zealand Plant Producers Incorporated (NZPPI)-accredited nursery. 2.7 PLANTING METHOD A multi-staged approach will be adopted to achieve successful restoration of a more diverse range of flora consistent with ecosystem WF11 (Singers & Rogers, 2014). 2.7.1 Multi-staged Planting Stage 1 - Spring/summer: prior to the winter restoration planting, site preparation will involve removal of any major weeds. Stage 2 – Autumn/winter: Weed removal will be undertaken and pioneer species planted. Stage 3 – Autumn/winter; after three years: Once the pioneer plantings have reached a sufficient size to shelter enrichment species (approximately three years), under-planting of canopy and enrichment species will commence. Releasing or removal of pioneer plantings may be required to make room for the new plantings.

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