90 Boffa Miskell Ltd | Waihi North Project | Terrestrial Ecology Values and Effects of the WUG | 22 June 2022 Coromandel Forest Park is a large conservation park administered by the Department of Conservation. The park comprises approximately 71, 900 ha of continuous native forest. Surface works within Coromandel Forest Park are limited to up to four ventilation raises, requiring a maximum clearance area of 12 x 12 m each (i.e. 0.0576 ha in total). Site selection for vent raises will account for the presence of native fauna with the objective of minimising ecological impacts, by choosing sites that are not occupied by notable fauna species (native frogs, native lizards, nesting native birds and significant native invertebrates (i.e. stag beetles, paua slug and peripatus), and do not include trees with a DBH > 50 cm. The primary effect of the Project within Coromandel Forest Park is the temporary loss of habitat and associated change in vegetation community when the site is restored (at the close of mining). These effects will be offset by enhancement planting of a total of 4.15 ha on the north east ridge of Willows Road Farm to connect Coromandel Forest Park with a forest fragment on Willows Road Farm. Further replanting of approximately 55,000 m2 on the boundary of Coromandel Forest Park and Willows Road Farm is also proposed as part of the additional ecological benefit. Activities around vent raise sites occupy a small area within the context of the forest and we consider that these effects can be minimised to a low or very low level of effect using a combination of engineering and design solutions (i.e. construction of the vent raise from the underground rather than from the surface vent raise design to maximise emission dispersion and location of the fan at the base of the raise to reduce noise); site management and timing (i.e. avoiding vent raise construction during nesting or active periods for fauna, minimising helicopter activity and using a small helicopter model); and using established hygiene and biosecurity control practices (i.e. local predator control around camp and construction sites, and testing, cleaning and surveillance practices to prevent kauri dieback introduction and spread). There is a low (but uncertain) risk for this project to generate residual adverse effects on Archey’s frogs within the 314 ha area exposed to vibrations greater than 2mm/s, or the area exposed to vent pollutant discharges. As such, the project team have developed a biodiversity offset package that includes research and wide scale intensive pest animal control over an area of 633 ha including the area exposed to surface vibrations and an adjacent area assessed as having high quality frog habitat. We consider that this will provide tangible, additional benefits to Archey’s frogs and other fauna including increased survivorship, reproductive success, and improved habitat condition through the removal of feral pigs, rodents, goats, feral cats, possums, wasps and mustelids. A biodiversity offset / compensation model and long-term outcome monitoring programme will be developed to assess the efficacy of the pest animal management programme. We consider that the management actions proposed are acceptable and will minimise ecological effects arising from the WUG, while biodiversity offset / compensation components and additional ecological benefit elements will deliver a substantial and measurable biodiversity benefit to the Wharekirauponga area and Willows Road Farm area.
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