The Coromandel is the perfect — and almost the last — home to this living dinosaur, hosting the largest population of critically endangered Archey's frogs outside of Whareorino near Te Kuiti.
Mining company Oceana Gold has an access arrangement to Parakiwai (Wharekirauponga) Valley on public conservation land at the back of Whangamata township, where the Archey's Frog has been found in numbers large enough to throw a spanner in the works.
The access arrangement provides for up to 10 sites to target high value gold deposits capable of being mined by underground methods. But finding sites with less than five of these critically endangered creatures over a 20m x 20m plot where it is proposed to place the 150 square metre drill sites, pump sites or camps, proved problematic.
"Over the past 18 months a series of ecological surveys has disqualified at least 40 potential sites due to Archey's frog populations," Oceana Gold Waihi spokesman Kit Wilson explained.
"If these surveys show that four or less native frogs are found on the plot, the frog locations are marked and recorded with biodegradable flagging tape and GPS. The site may be used as long as a six metre buffer zone is possible with each frog location while also ensuring that the buffer connects with habitat outside the plot."
Only two sites are currently being drilled. Both of these are on areas previously cleared, and are no larger than 150 square metres, "which is about a third of a basketball court". A helicopter is used to install the drilling and other equipment.
"A suitably qualified herpetologist is required to be onsite immediately prior to and during any vegetation clearance," says Mr Wilson.
"If any previously undetected native frogs are found during survey immediately prior to, or during vegetation clearance then they will be moved to suitable habitat as assessed by the onsite herpetologist. The release site(s) must be at least 100 metres away from the drill. To date only one frog has been moved during our operations at Wharekirauponga."
Anti-mining lobby group Coromandel Watchdog spokeswoman Augusta Macassey-Pickard says Wharekirauponga is a special case, and the Archey's is too fragile to put at risk.
The group applied under the Official Information Act for a copy of Oceana Gold's survey of the frog and other rare native species. Apart from 'bat detectors' and binoculars, ecologists undertaking the survey fossicked by day and used torches and headlamps at night to find the small creatures in terrain that ranged from thick untouched bush to native forest regenerating.
A total of 63 Archey's frogs were found — 66 at the drilling and camp sites and seven seen while the ecologists trudged along informal walking tracks between the proposed drilling sites. As of August last year, Oceana Gold had drilled 8000 metres into the habitat.
Public input will be sought on proposals to enact the Government's policy of no new mines on conservation land, and Ms Macassey-Pickard says it's time to speak up.
Currently a range of mining activities occur on public conservation land, ranging from coal mines through to alluvial gold mines and gravel extraction, with the majority on the West Coast, Otago and Coromandel. There are also mines in Southland, Tasman and Otago. There are 113 approved mining operations on Conservation Land and 54 of these are active.
Among those that the Conservation Minister and Energy and Resources Minister Megan Woods will consult with is the mining sector, iwi, local government, environmental and community groups, and the wider public.
"The discussion document is a chance for the public and stakeholders to contribute their views on the issues Government needs to consider in implementing the policy, the best tools to use and how transitional arrangements could work," Eugenie Sage said.
There would be no change to the status quo until final decisions on how to implement the policy direction are made.
DoC Hauraki operations manager Avi Holzapfel says despite the findings of surveys showing abundance of these frogs, there would be no change to access at Wharekirauponga.
"The conditions in the access arrangement already successfully minimised impact on Archey's frogs by excluding a large number of sites from disturbance where five or more frogs were found in the surveys."
Says Ms Macassey-Pickard: "Obviously we shouldn't have mines on conservation land.
These are often areas that have high biodiversity, unique characteristics and indigenous and often threatened species.
We are rallying to stand up for these areas and their inhabitants — to let them know that mining there is not okay, and to support DoC's recent decision not to allow them to relocate the very threatened and significant Archey's frog to enable them to drill further.
"The archey's frog are here — and they must be protected!"
There are 972 amphibians worldwide that scientists describe as 'EDGE', which stands for evolutionary distinct and globally endangered, and the Archey's — New Zealand's only land frog — tops the list.
Its fate is now very much in the balance.
