26 Boffa Miskell Ltd | Waihi North Project| Landscape and Visual Effects | 6.4 Visual Effects 6.4.1 Viewing Areas and Representative Viewpoints Due to the topography of the Willows Road site and surrounding context, many areas of the visual catchment associated with the WRS occur within the Willows Road site and a localised area which extends to the south-east (see Figure 8). A limited number of roads are located within this area with the ability to obtain potential views. Many of these roads service rural properties off more major transport corridors. Such roads encompass parts of SH25, Willows Road, Corbett Road and very long-distance views from Heard Road and Golden Valley Road. The proposed vent shaft in the north-west area of the Willows Road site has a more contained visual catchment which is almost entirely contained within the Willows Road site and adjoining forested areas within the Coromandel Forest Park from which potential views are concealed. Except for unformed paper roads, predominantly covered with existing vegetation which limits views, no external viewpoints were identified in relation to this aspect of the project. The main public and private viewing audiences located within the visual catchment which attain views of the Willows Road site are within the vicinity of and along the aforementioned roads to the south-east of the site. Publicly accessible viewpoints used to assist this assessment are primarily located on roads adjoining such areas. Based on the above, five viewing areas have been identified from which visual effects have been assessed together with visual simulations prepared from seven representative viewpoints from within these areas (see Figure 8). W1: Willows Road (VSs 1 to 4) W2: Highland Road (VS 5) W3: SH25 and Corbett Road (VS 6 to 9) W4: Golden Valley Road W5: Heard Road W1 Willows Road (VS 1 to 4) This viewing area to the south-east of the site primarily includes the northern end of Willows Road as well as rural and rural lifestyle properties and road users along Willows Road. It is noted that a paper road exists alongside the Mataura Stream and in principle could accommodate people walking towards the Coromandel Forest Park, however such views are likely very infrequent and of lower value. In this area, the most sensitive views are likely to occur from people within adjoining residential dwellings at the northern end of the road. Four viewpoints have been taken to represent the nature of views from this area, however no access to private property has been obtained to confirm the nature and level of visual effects from individual dwellings. VS1: End of Willows Road This view is obtained beyond the northern end of the formed road, but within the legal road corridor. The principal change from this view will result from embankments necessary to support the surface infrastructure area and collection pond as well as the uppermost portion of the WRS. Notwithstanding this, visitor numbers are infrequent, particularly for those beyond the formed road. Accordingly, these views are unlikely to be recognised or highly valued by the community. There will however be an apparent change, particularly during implementation and operation where the WRS will remain
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