Page 83 - 00 Volume 5 The Mine

clubs such as the Huntly Car Club and users Opencast
of the Wildlife Management Reserve.
The land capability analysis highlights the
The Wildlife Service will also require a restricted options available for the use of the
marshalling point for their planned school and opencast, given the requirements for continued
club tours through the wetlands, and they may mining from the southern end. It has been agreed
wish to negotiate access over the Waikato County that selected areas of the opencast,
land for a footpath around the airstrip. The particularly the area of strippings, be planted in
adoption of "Option B" for the airfield woodlots and amenity plots on an experimental

alignment would assist this proposal as well. basis. A range of species has been
recommended to the consultants for planting in
Motorway Construction the unprepared ground to test adaptability and
growth rates for visual amenity, erosion control
The National Roads Board have decided on and, if feasible, as a source of revenue. The
the most likely route for the proposed Motorway recommended species include forest tree species
which will bypass the township of Huntly. It will such as pine and gum, as well as a range of more
cross the study area, aligned about north-south ornamental nursery grown stock. Some amenity
just to the east of the Borough oxidation ponds to planting has been recommended for the opencast
the west of the Kimihia Opencast. This route
places the Borough refuse tip directly in the path perimeter.
of the proposed Motorway. The possible This programme is now underway with
commencement date for construction is as yet plants being provided from the nurseries of
undecided. Forest research and Lands and Survey
department. The Ministry of Works and
Opencast Perimeter
Development will assist with the planting.
The perimeter of the opencast will be the
future lake margin, and its establishment now in a
form suitable for that eventual situation is KIMIHIA GRASSING TRIALS
important. A study of available literature on
small artificial lakes in similar "soft" rocks Specifications for Kimihia Grass Trial
indicates that beach gradients of 5° would be
stable. Accordingly, the batter slopes in the Plots
perimeter area have been checked over a range
of elevation spanning the expected high water An area of 2.5 hectares has been cleared
level - low water level range, and the sections
with greater than 5° slope will be benched and above the East Mine drives. This area is being
flattened. This will enable a beach to be used as a trial plot to determine suitable seed
established eventually along the entire western mixes and fertilizer applications.
The following are the three seed mixes and
and northern margin of the present opencast.
the five fertilizer mixes used.
The future beach areas are being
established in pasture at the recommendation of
the consultants following revegetation trials Fertilizers 1, 2 and 3 were spread and disced in
carried out by State Coal Mines with the before sowing seed.
assistance of the Department of Agriculture and Fertilizers 4 and 5 were spread after seeding.
Fisheries. As well as establishing grass cover
along the eventual lake shore, this pasture Seed Mix 1 Rate (Kg/Hectare)
development is being used as a test area for later Ruanui Ryegrass 15
reference for revegetation of mined areas Paspallum 5
Yorkshire Fog
4
elsewhere. The first areas that have been regrassed Browntop 3
are now fenced, and stock water has been Chewings Fescue 5
provided to enable controlled light grazing to Cocksfoot 5
assist with weed control and grass root Maku Lotus 3
development, leading towards the development of White Clover 2
improved soil structure. Lime applications prior to Seed Mix 2
sowing and later repeated fertilizer applications Ruanui Ryegrass 30

are included in this work. Browntop 3
Chewings Fescue 3