38 Boffa Miskell Ltd | Waihi North Project| Landscape and Visual Effects | ensures no such views will in fact occur (see VP10). Moreover, it is recommended through conditions that if any project elements are visible from Wharekirauponga Walk, then an alternative site should be selected. For these reasons, it is considered that the vast majority of visitors within this area of the Coromandel Forest Park will experience no discernible visual effects. For the occasional hunter and experienced tramper within the Coromandel Forest Park, it is considered that views of up to four shaft raise sites and temporary supporting surface infrastructure will be extremely limited and most likely informed through local knowledge due to their isolated presence within dense vegetation. Furthermore, due to the variance in landform and treatment of project-built features to minimise vegetation loss combined with recessive materials / colours, such opportunities would be extremely limited and primarily relate to proximate locations only. Ephemeral plumes are unlikely to be seen. For these reasons, it is considered that any adverse visual effects in the context of the Coromandel Forest Park would be very low. 6.9 Recommended Mitigation Measures In considering the nature of the project and the anticipated change to the receiving environment, there are a number of measures which will help to mitigate the assessed landscape and visual effects. It is recommended that such measures are included as part of the project and have been considered in this assessment of landscape and visual effects in terms of effects during operation and residual effects. Mitigation measures for this project have been developed in two ways: • Measures that intrinsically comprise part of the development design through an iterative process; • Specific additional mitigation measures designed to reduce negative (adverse) effects of the final development proposals including areas of buffer planting included on Figure 20: Overall Integrated Mitigation. 6.9.1 Willows Road Site • Retention of existing shelterbelts, trees and hedges in the Willows Road site outside disturbed areas where practicable. • Strengthening of existing shelterbelts through additional planting managed through an effective rehabilitation strategy. This shall encompass: o Native buffer planting along escarpment edges; o Native buffer planting and exotic screen shelterbelt planting beyond riparian margins where this may assist in reducing available views; o Enhancement planting of existing and proposed wetland areas; and o Riparian planting along the Mataura Stream where riparian areas enter the Willows Road site. • Vegetate or hydroseed noise bund associated with main site infrastructure as soon as practicable after construction. • Exposed batters supporting all access roads to be finished with rounded edges to integrate within the adjoining landform and all exposed soil scarified and hydroseeded with pasture and/or native vegetation to assimilate within the surrounding land cover.
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