Ecology 010318
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Kaimai Wind Farm ECOLOGICAL EFFECTS ASSESSMENT March 2018 KAIMAI WIND FARM – VENTUS ENERGY – ECOLOGICAL EFFECTS ASSESSMENT 2 Table of Contents Executive Summary ................................................................................................................ 4 1 Introduction .................................................................................................................... 8 1.1 Project Brief ............................................................................................................... 8 1.2 Project Outline .......................................................................................................... 8 1.3 Policy context ............................................................................................................ 8 1.4 Existing ecological features in the vicinity of the project area ................................... 9 2 Methodology ................................................................................................................ 11 2.1 Background Literature Review ............................................................................... 11 2.2 Vegetation Survey and Mapping ............................................................................ 11 2.3 Avifauna .................................................................................................................. 11 2.3.1 Point counts and line transects .......................................................................... 12 2.3.2 Bioacoustic surveys ........................................................................................... 13 2.3.3 Analysis of acoustic data ................................................................................... 14 2.4 Bats ......................................................................................................................... 15 2.5 Threatened Flora and Fauna .................................................................................. 16 3 Vegetation Description ................................................................................................ 17 3.1 Key Vegetation Communities ................................................................................. 17 3.2 Threatened Flora .................................................................................................... 19 4 Fauna ........................................................................................................................... 21 4.1 Avifauna .................................................................................................................. 21 4.1.1 Resident birds .................................................................................................... 21 4.1.2 Special status bird species ................................................................................ 22 4.1.3 Migratory waders ............................................................................................... 24 4.2 Bats ......................................................................................................................... 26 4.3 Lizards and Frogs ................................................................................................... 28 4.3.1 Geckos ............................................................................................................... 28 4.3.2 Skinks................................................................................................................. 28 4.3.3 Frogs .................................................................................................................. 28 4.4 Invertebrates ........................................................................................................... 29 4.4.1 Te Aroha stag beetle .......................................................................................... 29 4.4.2 Helm's butterfly/ forest ringlet butterfly ............................................................... 30 4.5 Aquatic Biota ........................................................................................................... 30 5 Assessment of Ecological Significance ...................................................................... 31 5.1 Significance Assessment according to Regional Policy Statement Criteria ........... 31 6 Assessment of Ecological Effects ............................................................................... 35 6.1 Status of Assessment ............................................................................................. 35 6.2 Summary of Ecological Effects ............................................................................... 35 6.3 Effects on Vegetation .............................................................................................. 35 6.4 Effects on Avifauna ................................................................................................. 37 6.4.1 Summary of potential impacts ........................................................................... 37 6.4.2 Effects on resident birds .................................................................................... 38 6.4.3 Effects on waders and shorebirds ..................................................................... 40 6.4.4 Effects on northern hemisphere migratory species ........................................... 44 6.5 Effects on Bats ........................................................................................................ 46 6.5.1 Significance of long-tailed bats in the project area ............................................ 46 6.5.2 Turbine strike risk effect on bats ........................................................................ 46 6.5.3 Transmission lines ............................................................................................. 47 6.5.4 Risk during habitat clearance............................................................................. 47 6.6 Effects on Herpetofauna ......................................................................................... 48 6.7 Effects on Terrestrial Invertebrates ......................................................................... 48 6.8 Effects on Aquatic Habitats ..................................................................................... 48 6.8.1 Increased sediment ........................................................................................... 48 6.8.2 Potential culvert installation ................................................................................ 49 © Kessels Ecology 010318 KAIMAI WIND FARM – VENTUS ENERGY – ECOLOGICAL EFFECTS ASSESSMENT 3 6.8.3 Fill disposal sites ................................................................................................ 49 6.8.4 Water abstraction requirements ......................................................................... 49 6.9 Animal and Plan Pests and Disease ...................................................................... 49 6.9.1 Plant pests ......................................................................................................... 49 6.9.2 Disease spread .................................................................................................. 49 6.9.3 Animal pests ...................................................................................................... 49 7 Conclusions and Recommendations .......................................................................... 50 7.1 Summary of Ecological Effects ............................................................................... 50 7.2 Recommended Amelioration Measures ................................................................. 51 8 References & Bibliography .......................................................................................... 52 APPENDIX I Site Photos ....................................................................................................... 57 APPENDIX II Waikato Regional Council Regional Policy Statement Criteria ................................. 61 APPENDIX III Location of bird and bat survey stations and summary of data collected ...... 62 APPENDIX IV Vegetation matrix map sections .................................................................... 66 APPENDIX V Botanical Species List .................................................................................... 72 Prepared by: Dr Rebecca Stirnemann & Gerry Kessels With assistance from: Brenda Bartels, Britta Deichmann, Christine Ulrich, Andree Hickey-Elliott, Dr Briar Taylor-Smith and Wiea van der Zwan Reviewed by: Dr Jennifer Price Version: FINAL 010318 PWF Ref: VEN.00113 Kessels Ecology Ltd PO Box 4225 HAMILTON EAST 3247 Except for the purposes of individual study or fair review, for which the authors must be acknowledged, no part of this report may be copied, scanned, stored in any type of electronic file or retrieval system or published in any other form without the express written permission of Kessels & Associates Ltd. (trading as Kessels Ecology). © Kessels & Associates Ltd. 2018 © Kessels Ecology 010318 KAIMAI WIND FARM – VENTUS ENERGY – ECOLOGICAL EFFECTS ASSESSMENT 4 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Aim of the Ecological Effects Assessment Ventus Energy proposes the construction of 24 wind turbines over an area of approximately 1,850 ha within hill country farmland, situated on the north-western flanks of the Kaimai Range between Mt Aroha and the Karangahake Gorge – the proposed Kaimai wind farm. Kessels Ecology have been commissioned to undertake an ecological