16 significant water quality issues. Very high degradation e.g., modified urban stream. • Benthic community typically with dominant species or group of species. • MCI scores typically 60 or lower. • EPT richness and proportion of overall benthic invertebrate community typically low or zero. • SEV scores moderate to high, typically less than 0.4. • Fish communities typically low diversity of only 1-2 species. • Pest or invasive fish (excluding trout and salmon) species present. • Stream channel and morphology typically modified (e.g., channelised). • Stream banks often highly modified or managed and maybe highly engineered and/or evidence of significant erosion. • Riparian vegetation typically without a well-established closed canopy. • Habitat highly modified. 6.4.1 Waikato Regional Council RPS The Waikato Regional Council (WRC) RPS sets out the criteria for identifying areas of significant indigenous biodiversity and their characteristics as they exist at the time the criteria are being applied3 (WRC 2016). Criteria4 may be specific to a habitat type including water, land or airspace or be more inclusive to address connectivity, or movement of species across habitat types. The significance of ecological habitat within the proposed project footprint was evaluated using the ‘Criteria for determining significance of indigenous biodiversity’ in Section 11A of the RPS. This criteria states that “To be identified as significant an area needs to meet one or more of the criteria identified in the table below” (i.e. in Table 11-1 of the RPS (Appendix 1 our report). In the context of wetlands, it is worth drawing attention to criterion 4 which states: “It is indigenous vegetation, habitat or ecosystem type that is under-represented (20% or less of its known or likely original extent remaining) in an Ecological District, or Ecological Region, or nationally.” The proportion of wetland habitat remaining in the Waikato Region and nationally is estimated to be 8.9% and 10.1% respectively (Ausseil et al., 2008). Consequently, wetlands are considered a conservation priority and indigenous wetland habitat qualifies as significant indigenous biodiversity under criterion 4 in the RPS. Notwithstanding the above, we note that none of the wetlands identified in the project footprint have been recognised as Significant Natural Areas in the HDP. The Ohinemuri River catchment is not identified as a priority catchment or as an outstanding freshwater body (although the Waihou River at Whites Road is listed to be included as outstanding) in the WRPS (section 8.2.1). 6.5 Evaluating the Level of Effect The ecological effects of the project have primarily been assessed using the indicative footprint of works. Under the EIANZ criteria we have used, the level, or severity of adverse effects on an 3 Section 11A Indigenous Biodiversity. 4 Table 11-1 Criteria for determining significance of indigenous biodiversity.
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