12 Boffa Miskell Ltd | Pest Animal Management Plan | Wharekirauponga Compensation Package | 30 May 2022 3.0 Areas for pest animal management 3.1 Wharekirauponga Animal Pest Management Area The proposed WAPMP (Map 1) covers a 632 ha, which includes the 314 ha area that may be subject to vibration impacts, as well as an adjacent area of 318 ha that if of high habitat quality for frogs based on modelling (Map 2). This combined 632 ha area will undergo an intensive pest control regime as described in this WAPMP. Whareorino reported significant increases in Archey’s frog populations with only 300 ha under active rat management (with a 2.3 fold increase reported in Ramirez 2017). In 2017, the size of the area under management was increased to 600 ha and the rat control continues to result in population increases (Easton, 2021). We can therefore be confident that the size of the proposed area of pest control will be more than sufficient to achieve biodiversity outcomes for frogs (as well as other native species). 3.2 Otahu Ecological Area The Otahu Ecological Area (approximately 700 ha), which is immediately adjacent to the proposed Wharekirauponga animal pest management area, will also be subject to an enhanced pest control regime. The Otahu Ecological Area has had little predator control to date, other than 4-yearly (approximately) aerial 1080 drops. The Otahu Ecological Area, which covers an entire catchment, is the only ecological area located within the Waihi Ecological District. Knowledge about the area varies, but it has high vegetation values and includes podocarp-hardwood forest dominated by tawa, towai, rata, rimu, miro, Hall’s totara and rewarewa with occasional tawari as well as dense ricker and pole kauri forest and manuka shrubland with regenerating kauri (The Ecology Company, 2021). Native species reports from 1984 showed the area hosted a variety of animals of conservation concern including kōkako, Hochstetter’s frog, North Island brown kiwi, kākāriki, long-tailed bat, Rhytida snail and paua slug, as well as common and uncommon species such as North Island brown kiwi, kererū (New Zealand pigeon), pekapeka (long-tailed bat), and Archey’s frog (The Ecology Company, 2021). Control methods for the Otahu Ecological Area will be developed separably in collaboration with stakeholders, so this area is not discussed further in this WAPMP.
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