18 Boffa Miskell Ltd | Waihi North Project | Terrestrial Ecology Values and Effects of the WUG | 22 June 2022 distance of closest record from the Wharekirauponga catchment, the date range of records, and the numbers of records for each species are summarised in Section 5.2.4. The records of lizard surveys, and search effort for surveys carried out at Wharekirauponga were also reviewed (BML 2019b, 2022b). These included 15 biodiversity survey sites where visual and manual searches were carried out and four transects where nocturnal spotlight surveys were carried out, as well as incidental observations during other survey work (Appendix 2). Eight exploration drill sites have been surveyed for lizards prior to vegetation clearance. 4.6.2 Habitat Assessments and Surveys Habitat assessments for native lizards were undertaken within the farm property, on the boundary of the farm property and Coromandel Forest Park and in Coromandel Forest Park. Lizard surveys will be conducted within any potential vent raise sites as part of the vent raise site selection process (see Section 7.2) and prior to vegetation clearance on Willows Road Farm. Lizard surveys must be undertaken in conditions suitable for lizard activity8. Survey methods will include repeated manual searches for terrestrial skinks and nocturnal (spotlight) searches for arboreal geckos. Manual searching9 involves looking for emerged lizards and checking retreat sites (e.g. under wood debris, in tree cavities) for inactive lizards and lizard sign (Lettink & Monks 2016). Care is taken to restore refuges as they are found to avoid altering the refuge microclimate. Nocturnal surveys10 will be carried out after dusk primarily to detect arboreal geckos. This method requires experienced observers to scan vegetation: branches, trunks, crevices, loose bark and other potential refuges for lizard eyeshine or distinctive body shape. Lizards are captured where possible, identified to species, photographed, measured, sexed and released. 4.7 Assessment and Survey of Native Bats 4.7.1 Desktop Analysis There are no records of bats in the vicinity of the Willows Road property. Bat records (pers. comm. M Pryde - DOC) and previous bat survey data collected in the Wharekirauponga catchment prior to exploration site clearance (at eight sites) and during baseline ecological surveys were reviewed (BML 2018, 2019a, 2019b, 2021, 2022b) and used to inform likely ecological values of bats in the vicinity of potential vent raise sites. Bat records described in the Coromandel-Thames SNA report (Waihi ED, Kessels & Associates 2010) were also reviewed. 8 Lizard surveys can be conducted from September – April (inclusive), when ambient night temperature is at least 12⁰C, with little or no wind. Manual searches during the day should be conducted in fine, warm weather, avoiding temperature extremes. 9 The benefits of manual searching are that it there are minimal equipment requirements, they are repeatable and good for sites that will not be revisited, or where equipment cannot be left behind. Manual searching can also be very effective in appropriate conditions and with experienced observers (Lettink and Monks, 2016) for presence/absence surveys. Manual searching will not detect all individuals of a population. 10 Nocturnal surveys for lizards are one of the most effective detection methods (Lettink and Monks, 2016), particularly in optimal conditions with multiple experienced observers. Binoculars (Bushnell 10 × magnification, 42 mm objective lens), LED Lenser P7 torches and LED Lenser SEO 7 headlamps will be used to detect and identify lizards.
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