Boffa Miskell Ltd | Waihi North Project | Landscape and Visual Effects | 3 former and existing mining related operations established throughout this area. This includes existing gold exploration within the Coromandel Range and the continued operation of the existing Processing Plant, Water Treatment Plant and established tailings storage facilities which extend to the east of Waihi and generally beyond Union Hill. A key element of this project accommodates the proposed WUG Mine beneath part of the Coromandel Forest Park and accessed from portals within farmland at Willows Road and adjoining the existing Processing Plant (see Figure 1). In closer proximity to the existing operation and east of Waihi are additional proposed mining elements which include a new open pit mine and subsequent tailings storage facility created within the existing form of Gladstone Hill as well as an extended rock stack (NRS) and additional tailings storage facility (TSF3) adjoining existing similar facilities to the east of the Ohinemuri River. Existing mining activity contributes to the character of the Waihi landscape, and this generally has not resulted in major adverse landscape or visual effects on surrounding areas, primarily due to the intervening topography and vegetation which maintains effective containment of mining related aspects. In this context, the WUG is proposed to occur with minimal surface expression and linked with existing processing facilities underground to minimise any potential for increased adverse landscape or visual effects. The expansion of mining and associated tailings storage adjacent to the existing Processing Plant occurs in the context of similar existing mining activity and has been configured to remain contained within a broader working rural character. 3.1.1 Topography The topographical characteristics of the Coromandel Range forms the dominant landscape element in this broader landscape context (see Figure 2). The topography within the Coromandel Forest Park climbs to elevations above 700 metres above sea level (masl) in the vicinity of Waihi and comprises various steep and rugged deeply incised landforms with gorges and “V” shaped valleys. Within the southern area of the Coromandel Range, gorges and valleys tend to run in a northeast / south-west orientation and include local streams such as the Wharekirauponga and Waiharakeke Streams. A broad ridge encloses the upper reaches of the Mataura Stream within the Coromandel Forest Park and descends in elevation towards the Waiharakeke Stream to the north. This broad ridge contains the most elevated portions of the project area, reaching 500 masl and primarily forms the backdrop of views from the east. The other key ridge in the project area is located to the north of the Waiharakeke Stream and Wharekirauponga Stream. Whilst within the project area, this ridge is lower than the broader ridge to the south and forms part of the lower flanks of Whakamoehau, which is a particularly prominent peak in the local context reaching 750 masl. It is noted however that this peak is generally not visible in the visual catchment of the project due to intervening landforms, particularly those reaching 500 masl in the project area. The adjoining foothills of the Coromandel Range express a series of gently sloping and rounded spurs and gullies which generally run in a north-south orientation. To the northwest of Waihi, the topography rises more steeply towards the steeper vegetated slopes of the Coromandel Range approximately 3 kilometres from the town centre. The topography of farmland adjoining the steeper topography within the Coromandel Range, including the Willows Road site, rises in elevation from the lowlands to the east and culminates within a contained gully associated with tributaries to the Ohinemuri River which include Mataura Stream. In this context, the landform supports a rural fringe and mid-slopes along the foot of the more elevated Coromandel Range. The landform associated with Waihi and the existing mining operations form part of the southeastern foothills of the Coromandel Range that adjoin a broad basin along the Ohinemuri River. The existing form of Martha Pit forms a distinctive modified landform feature within this landscape, the base of which is currently some 220 metres below the surrounding ground level
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