22 Boffa Miskell Ltd | Waihi North Project | Terrestrial Ecology Values and Effects of the WUG | 22 June 2022 Negligible • Very slight change from the existing baseline condition. Change barely distinguishable, approximating to the ‘no change’ situation; and/or • Having negligible effect on the known population or range of the element/feature We note that where the level of effect is noted as moderate, high, or very high, mitigation is usually required. Therefore, the effects would typically be considered an adverse effect under the RMA. On the other hand, a negligible or low effect would be considered less than minor effect Table 3: EIANZ criteria for level of ecological effect (Roper-Lindsay et al., 2018). Magnitude Ecological Value Very High High Moderate Low Negligible Very High Very High Very High High Moderate Low High Very High Very High Moderate Low Very Low Moderate Very High High Moderate Very Low Very Low Low Moderate Low Low Very Low Very Low Negligible Low Very Low Very Low Very Low Very Low Positive Net gain Net gain Net gain Net gain Net gain 4.10.3 Effects Management We have applied the ‘effects management hierarchy’ to the impacts of the proposed WNP (Roper-Lindsay et al., 2018). The effects management hierarchy outlines the order of priority for ecological impact management as: a. Avoid. b. Remedy. c. Mitigate. d. Offset. e. Compensate. f. And any supporting actions. Our approach has been one of integrating and aggregating the effects management and offsets to maximise ecological outcomes. 4.10.4 Integrated Effects Management We have adopted an integrated effects management strategy that means in most cases the ecological mitigation and the landscape mitigation planting take a similar form and in the same key locations, or links locations to one another. Ecology is integrated with landscape to provide a more continuous connection of vegetation and freshwater environments, which will benefit biodiversity throughout the proposed project footprint whilst also providing benefit from a landscape and visual perspective. Our recommended integrated ecological effects management strategy provides for mitigation to be aggregated in specific locations within the land ownership of OGNZL, rather than a more fragmented spread at locations around or beyond the project boundary. This strategy thus aims
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