10 Boffa Miskell Ltd | Waihi North Project | Terrestrial Ecology Values and Effects of the WUG | 22 June 2022 2.4 Ecological Context The WNP Project Area is located within the Waihi Ecological District (Waihi ED) which includes the land from Whangamata south to Waihi Beach and encompasses the entire project area. With the exception of CFP land, much of the vegetation in Waihi ED has been modified through farming and urban development. Native forest within Waihi ED comprises tawa-dominated forest with emergent northern rata, rimu, totara, miro, pukatea and kauri (Kessels & Associates, 2010). The Waihi ED includes the southern extent of Coromandel Forest Park and all of Wharekirauponga area (located above WUG). The land surrounding the existing mine operations, excluding the Martha Pit, is generally open with predominantly grazed pasture with some areas of plantation pine, native vegetation and low-density rural dwellings. The land is typically low-lying with some rolling hills and small ridges. Considerable planting has been undertaken across the Waihi site and surrounding areas by OGNZL (and the former Waihi Gold), with 455,400 plants planted between 1995-2016 (Figure 4). Of these plants 206,541 were identified as ‘riparian’ plantings and a further 14,379 and 41,805 plants were identified as ‘swamp’ and ‘gully’ plantings respectively. These plantings totalled 35.31 ha of restoration plantings in and around Waihi . The location of these plantings includes TB1 Stream and a number of associated wetlands, Eastern Stream, and the lower reaches of the Ruahorehore Stream and tributaries (Figure 4). These plantings have improved the ecological value and function of these watercourses and wetlands. We emphasise that these enhancements have been entirely voluntary by OGNZL and have not been undertaken as part of any regulatory or land purchase requirements. Figure 4: Revegetation plantings around Waihi town.
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