46 MITIGATION PLAN: Waihi North Project WAI-985-000-PLN-LC-0001_Rev0 clean This LMP must be actioned under a valid Department of ConservationWildlife Act Authority (‘permit’)1. 5.2 SUMMARY OF AFFECTED HABITAT AND LIZAD POPULATIONS 5.2.1 Desktop assessment A review of the Department of Conservation’s Amphibian and Reptile Distribution Scheme (ARDS) database (accessed August 2020) for historic records of herpetofauna in the Waihi Ecological District revealed that four species of indigenous lizards have been reported within 10 km of the WNP area. These include copper skink (Oligosoma aeneum), shore skink (O. smithi), forest gecko (Mokopirirakau granulatus) and elegant gecko (Naultinus elegans). The closest records to the WNP area were represented by two copper skinks (occurring ≤ 650 m north of Martha Pit) and two elegant geckos (occurring ≤ 3 km away) though, it should be noted that the elegant gecko records represent individuals sighted in the mid-1960s. Shore skinks are restricted to coastal environments (e.g. beaches and sand dune systems) and are not considered to be present within the WNP area. 5.2.2 Previous survey effort The lizard fauna of the WNP area was identified through several independent surveys carried out between the months of December and May, during 2011-2012, 2017- 2020. The surveys resulted in the detection of two indigenous lizard species, copper skink (O. aeneum) and moko skink (Oligosoma moco) (Bioresearches, 2022, Figure 8). • Copper skinks were recorded from the proposed GOP, (and were recorded in the surrounding landscape at Union Hill, and Favona wetland). • Moko skinks were recorded in dense vegetation at the northern extent of the southern SNA 166 fragment and in boulder jumbles among pasture and rank grass on the northern side of a pine stand, west of the NRS. 5.2.3 Species covered by Plan Rough grasses, native plantings, pine and rocky outcrops and stony areas within the WNP have been identified as either potential or confirmed habitats for protected skinks (copper skink and moko skink, Figure 7). While survey coverage and effort has been extensive, the presence of other species (including geckos), or occurrence of species at other locations within the WNP footprint, remains possible. 1 This LMP will be actioned under a site-specific DOC wildlife permit; however, at the stage of writing a permit had not yet been attained.
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