4 Boffa Miskell Ltd | Waihi North Project| Landscape and Visual Effects | and approximately 100 metres below sea level. Martha Hill (Pukewa), within which Martha Mine is now located, previously formed part of this broader foothills landform. The urban area surrounding the mine is typically flat to gently undulating between 80 and 160 masl with the meandering form of Mangatoetoe Stream flowing through an urban area to the southwest of Martha Pit. A series of steep rounded hills rise to the east of the township including Union Hill (162 masl), Gladstone Hill (170 masl), Winner Hill (150 masl) and Black Hill (224 masl). The Ohinemuri River passes to the east of this series of hills and bisects the more rounded hills adjoining Waihi from a larger elevated landform which extends to the east that accommodates the existing tailings storage facilities along its south-western edge. The Ruahorehore Stream flows east to west to the south of these broader elevated landforms and through a broader floodplain of the Ohinemuri River which opens out to the south-east of Waihi and north of the Kaimai Range. 3.1.2 Land Cover A broad understanding of the existing land cover as identified by Landcare Research New Zealand Limited on their land cover database (LCDB v.5) is illustrated on Figure 3. This identifies that the rural land use surrounding Waihi predominantly comprises of a patchwork of mainly exotic pasture and cropping interspersed with shelter planting and orchard trees. Mining activity, including the Processing Plant and the existing tailings storage facilities also contribute to the modified land cover within this area. Within the Coromandel Forest Park, the steeper hill forms of the Coromandel Ranges support areas of established and regenerating indigenous forest. The forested backdrop associated with the Coromandel Range runs north-south for approximately 85 kilometres. Vegetation within this area comprises a variety of species including late and mid successional forests (see Plate 1). Common species include tawa (Beilschmiedia tawa), rimu (Dacrydium cupressinum), kauri (Agathis australis), silver fern (Cyathea dealbata), pukatea (Laurelia novae-zelandiae), kiekie (Freycinetia banksia), and pigeonwood (Hedycarya arborea). Groundcover species include bush rice grass, and hard fern species such as crown fern (Blechnum discolor). Plate 1 Sub- canopy vegetation within the Coromandel Forest Park The rural land use within the Willows Road site reflects the land cover of the wider foothills of the Coromandel Range, predominantly comprising a patchwork of exotic pasture interspersed with exotic shelter planting. Native vegetation which is present is typically found within riparian remnants and some single standing trees (see Plate 2). Such vegetation includes kawakawa (Macropiper excelsum), manuka (Leptospermum scoparium), and mahoe (Melicytus ramiflorus). Two mature swamp maire (Syzygium maire) are also located in a small boggy area / degraded
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