RECONNECTING COMMUNITIES
Construction Environmental Management Guidance Technical Document No. 10: Lizard Management
Report prepared for: New Zealand Transport Agency KiwiRail Holdings Ltd Report prepared by: NCTIR Date: June 2018 Contents
1 Introduction ...... 3 1.1 Roles and Responsibilities ...... 3 2 Setting ...... 4 2.1 Regulatory Setting ...... 4 2.2 Kaikoura lizards – Species & habitats ...... 4 3 Risk Assessment ...... 5 3.1 Project Activities ...... 5 3.2 Risk Category ...... 5 4 Control Measures...... 6 4.1 Coastal boulder deposits ...... 6 4.2 Mature indigenous shrublands ...... 6 4.3 Mangamaunu, Okiw and Waipapa Bays ...... 7 4.4 Measures for incidental situations ...... 7 Appendix A: Project Ecological Principles Appendix B: Kaikoura lizard species, threat classifications and habitat use
Page 2 Construction Environmental Management | June 2018 1 Introduction This technical document (TD) provides guidance to project teams on management measures around coastal, oceanic and riverine birds in relation to North Canterbury Transport Infrastructure Recovery (NCTIR) projects. All construction activities should be operated, maintained, supervised, monitored and controlled at all times, so that the risks around effects on native lizards are minimised as much as practicable.
This TD is principally prepared for the NCTIR Environmental Advisors supporting the NCTIR delivery teams. It sets out:
Roles and responsibilities of parties involved in project works and implementing controls relating to native lizards;
A summary of the existing environment as it relates to native lizard habitats within the project area;
A risk assessment of typical construction activities in the context of the sensitivity of the receiving environment;
Management measures to limit the impacts of the project on native lizards, and advice on how to implement them through project specific Environmental Management Plans (EMP) and Safe Work Method Statement (SWMS).
1.1 Roles and Responsibilities This TD sits under the Construction Environmental Management Plan (CEMP) for the NCTIR programme of works. The CEMP should be referred to for broader roles and responsibilities as they relate to the programme as a whole. The roles and responsibilities described below are specific to the management of coastal, oceanic and riverine birds:
Role Senior Environmental Site Engineer Project Project Engineer Environmental Advisor E c o lo g ist Advisor
Responsibilities Reviewing and Advising delivery Development of Advice on site Inspection of works reporting on the teams on site EMP and controls and to assess compliance management of management of SWMS to include monitoring with the CEMP and native lizards as part native lizards. management of required to relevant of the CEMP native lizards. delivery teams management plans. responsibilities. Visual inspections of and wider (i.e. environmental On the ground site design). Ensure sub- Facilitates and compliance. supervision. contractor adherence oversees Respond to, and to the management environmental Input into EMPs, On the job training. provide advice plans. CWPs and SWMS. monitoring. Visual inspections on, any native lizard Emergency contact. Reviews and updates of environmental compliance. management this TD as issues / effects. necessary. Input into EMPs, CWPs and SWMS. Reviews and updates this TD as necessary.
Technical Document No. 10: Lizard Management Page 3 2 Setting Developing an understanding of both the general and specific environment is essential to determining the type and scale of control measures required during construction.
This section provides the general description of the environment of where NCTIR projects are located. There are multiple work streams and will ultimately be many project sites that generally come under one of three areas; the Coastal Route, Inland Route and Alternative Route. An overview of the environment relevant to the management of native lizards is summarised below.
2.1 Regulatory Setting The protection of native birdlife is required under the Wildlife Act (1953), Conservation Act (1987) and the Resource Management Act (1991). In relation to projects along the coastal route, resource consents, Department of Conservation concessions and permits have been granted to cover the project works (all Consents and Approvals are saved in Vault). Key requirements from these approvals are: • Ecological principles that are taken into account when undertaking design and construction works. These principles are provided in the CEMP and listed in Appendix A of this report; • Scoping surveys to be carried out prior to works to identify any At Risk, Threatened or taonga species that may be significantly adversely affected; and • Mitigation measures to avoid as far as practical the effects on species identified during the scoping survey (these measures are set out in this and other Construction Environmental Management Plan (CEMP) Technical Documents). Outside of the coastal route, site specific resource consents and/or permits may be required and confirmation of this needs to be obtained prior to starting works.
2.2 Kaikoura Lizards – Species & Habitats Eleven species of native lizard occur between the Waiau River to the south and the Clarence River to the north (refer to Appendix B), representing c. 10% of the New Zealand lizard fauna. The lizard fauna of the greater Kaikōura area is characterised by a high proportion of At Risk and Threatened species1 (73%; 8 of the 11 taxa). Three species appear to be endemic to the Marlborough Region (Kaikōura gecko, Marlborough spotted skink and South Marlborough grass skink) and one species that is restricted to the alpine zone (the black-eyed gecko). The following are five broad habitat types utilised by native lizards in the Kaikoura area: 1. Coastal - the coastal margin, above the high-tide mark, and associated dunelands; 2. Grassland - dominant cover of exotic and/or native grasses, including farmland; 3. Shrubland - dominant cover of indigenous shrub species (Coprosma, Helichrysum, Corokia, kānuka, mānuka, tauhinu, matagouri, Melicytus etc.); 4. Forest - mature or regenerating hardwood/podocarp/beech forest dominated by indigenous species (plantation forestry does not generally support lizard populations, unless it has been planted through native shrub/forest vegetation that contains arboreal geckos); and 5. Rocklands - rock outcrops, scree and talus slopes, riverbeds, terraces and scarps. A layer identifying ‘lizard habitat types’ can be found on the NCTIR GIS website. The current status of the Kaikōura lizard fauna is unknown. Some coastal populations, particularly of the most common and widespread species (Marlborough mini gecko and South Marlborough grass skink), will have been partially or fully buried by earth movements during the earthquake, aftershocks, and further slips caused by high rainfall events. .
1 Hitchmough et al. (2016). Conservation status of New Zealand reptiles, 2015. New Zealand Threat Classification Series 17. Department of Conservation, Wellington.
Page 4 Construction Environmental Management | June 2018 3 Risk Assessment The scoping surveys undertaken for the project have determined the habitats and species of concern in relation to the construction associated with the earthquake recovery activities. Mitigation measures to be implemented are based around methods to minimise impacts.
3.1 Project Activities The following construction activities associated with the NCTIR programme of works are likely to take place within or adjacent to native lizard habitat and will require controls to be in place: • Stockpiling/temporary storage of materials. • Construction of access roads/tracks and permanent road and rail structures. • Earthworks including sluicing, scaling and blasting. • Vegetation clearance.
3.2 Risk Category Informed predictions of the relative risk to the 11 locally-occurring species can be made by considering their habitat use (presence/absence in coastal, grassland, shrubland, forest and rockland habitats), rarity1 and distributions (DOC Herpetofauna Database). Based on these factors, there is some risk to most (9 out of 11) of the locally-occurring lizard species (Table 1). The two most abundant and widespread species (south Marlborough grass skink and Marlborough mini gecko) are at greatest risk (Table 1). Among Threatened species, risk is greatest for Marlborough spotted skink, which has historically been recorded at Mangamaunu, Okiwi and Waipapa Bay.
Table 1: Risk assessment for native lizards occurring in the Kaikoura area.
Species Conservation status Risk
Coastal Grasslands Shrublands Forest Rocklands Marlborough spotted skink Threatened - Nationally Vulnerable Moderate - high Scree skink Threatened - Nationally Vulnerable Nil Rough gecko Threatened - Nationally Vulnerable Moderate Black-eyed gecko Threatened - Nationally Vulnerable Nil Kaikōuras gecko At Risk - Naturally Uncommon ? ? Moderate South Marlborough grass skink At Risk - Declining High
Waiharakeke grass skink At Risk - Declining Moderate Waitaha/Canterbury gecko At Risk - Declining ? ? Low
Raukawa gecko Not Threatened ? Moderate Marlborough mini gecko/minimac Not Threatened ? High Southern Alps gecko Not Threatened ? Low
Technical Document No. 10: Lizard Management Page 5 4 Control Measures The control measures outlined in this document relate to the management of potential habitats for two Threatened lizard species (Marlborough spotted skink and rough gecko) that are at risk of being adversely affected by consented activities occurring in the coastal corridor. As per Ecological Principle 1 (Appendix A), efforts should be made in the first instance to minimise the project footprint and permanent habitat loss the following sections outline the controls to be implemented at NCTIR project sites.
4.1 Coastal boulder deposit Boulder deposits with a dense cover of native coastal shrub and vine species (e.g. pōhuehue Muehlenbeckia complexa, Coprosma spp., porcupine shrub Melicytus alpinus) provide habitat for up to four or five lizard species. If such habitat will be impacted by construction activities, the Project Ecologist should be informed at least 5 days prior to any habitat clearance so that the area can be searched for the presence of native lizards. In accordance with Wildlife Permit 62183, any lizards caught during salvage operations are to be relocated to suitable habitat within a 500 m vicinity of where they were caught. Refer to the NCTIR GIS website to identifying the presence of this lizard habitat type within NCTIR project sites. .
Examples of coastal boulder deposits at Mangamaunu
4.2 Mature indigenous shrublands Arboreal (tree-dwelling) gecko inhabit mature indigenous shrublands and forests where the vegetation is continuous with known sites for the species (e.g. tracts of riverine kānuka forest up the Kowhai and Hapuku rivers, forested slopes on the Seaward Kaikōura Range). The Project Ecologist should be informed at least 5 days prior to any clearance of indigenous shrubland and forest vegetation, including stands of kānuka / mānuka, and small leaved-leaved shrublands dominated by Coprosma species. Where possible, felled vegetation should be left on-site to allow animals to disperse. Refer to the NCTIR GIS website to identifying the presence of this lizard habitat type within NCTIR project sites.
Page 6 Construction Environmental Management | June 2018
Examples of mature indigenous shrublands
4.3 Mangamaunu, Okiwi & Waipapa Bays The Threatened Marlborough spotted skink has previously been recorded at Mangamaunu, Okiwi and Waipapa bays, while the At Risk Waiharakeke grass skink has been recorded at Waipapa Bay. These specific locations are therefore considered to be high risk environments for these species, and as such specific lizard salvage operations will be undertaken at these locations ahead of any vegetation clearance or ground disturbance required as part of the NCTIR projects. Salvage operations will include the deployment of pit-fall traps and Artificial Cover Objects (ACOs) within areas of future vegetation clearance or ground disturbance at Mangamaunu, Okiwi and Waipapa Bay. The ACO’s and pit- fall traps must be deployed for a minimum of 6 weeks prior to these activities. At the same time as the ACOs and pit-falls traps are deployed, potential translocation sites (within 500 m of salvage sites) will be identified by the Project Ecologist and habitat enhancement measures undertaken if required. Following a minimum of 6 weeks after deployment, the ACOs and pit-fall traps will be checked for a minimum of 4 consecutive days immediately prior to vegetation clearance or ground disturbance activities. Any lizards found will be taken to the previously identified and enhanced translocation site. Records must be kept and provided to the Project Ecologist in regards to any lizard species captured and translocated during any salvage operation.
Examples of pit-fall traps (left and centre) and ACOs (right).
4.4 Measures for incidental situations Outlined here are measures for additional situations which may arise during the construction phase: • If a live lizard is observed outside of work areas, do not try to catch it. • If a live lizard is observed within an area to be impacted, efforts should be made to catch the animal and relocate
Technical Document No. 10: Lizard Management Page 7 to suitable (similar) habitat within a 500 m2 vicinity of where they were caught. Photos should be taken and sent to the zone Environmental Advisor. The Environmental Advisor will in turn inform the Project Ecologist and provide any photos taken, along with the details of the capture and release locations. • If a dead lizard is observed either within or outside of work areas, photos should be taken and sent to the zone Environmental Advisor. The Environmental Advisor will in turn inform the Project Ecologist and provide any photos taken, along with the details of the location.
2 Distance specified in Wildlife Permit 62183.
Page 8 Construction Environmental Management | June 2018 Appendix A: Project Ecological Principles • Avoid as far as practicable, or minimise permanent habitat loss (including coastal, terrestrial and freshwater habitats). • Avoid as far as practicable, or minimise loss of rare ecosystem types and habitats for Threatened, At Risk, taonga and marine mammal species. • Avoid as far as practicable, or minimise habitat fragmentation/barriers (including coastal, terrestrial and freshwater habitats). • Avoid as far as practicable, or minimise impacts on habitat connectivity (including coastal, terrestrial and freshwater habitats). • Avoid as far as practicable, or minimise impacts on Threatened, At Risk, taonga and marine mammal species. • Create safe habitats, especially for Threatened, At Risk, taonga and marine mammal species. • Avoid as far as practicable, or minimise effects on water quality and sediment– including kai moana and mauri. • Avoid as far as practicable, or minimise alteration of natural hydrology patterns to the extent practicable. • Avoid as far as practicable, or minimise the potential for the spread and/or establishment of pest plants or animals (including coastal, terrestrial and freshwater habitats). • Avoid as far as practicable, or minimise impacts on habitats that play an important role in the life cycle and ecology of native species.
Technical Document No. 10: Lizard Management Page 9
Appendix B: Kaikoura lizard species, threat classifications
and habitat use
SPECIES CONSERVATION STATUS HABITAT FUNCTION
Coastal Grasslands Shrublands Forest Rocklands Marlborough spotted skink Oligosoma elium Threatened - Nationally Vulnerable Old records from Mangamaunu, Okiwi & Waipapa Bay Scree skink Oligosoma waimatense Threatened - Nationally Vulnerable Not found below 400 m a.s.l. Rough gecko Naultinus rudis Threatened - Nationally Vulnerable Population stronghold in Seaward Kaikōura Range Black-eyed gecko Mokopirirakau kahutarae Threatened - Nationally Vulnerable Restricted to alpine zone Kaikōuras gecko Woodworthia “Kaikouras” At Risk - Naturally Uncommon ? ? Distribution poorly-known, occurs near Clarence River
South Marlborough grass skink Oligosoma aff. polychroma Clade 3 At Risk - Declining Most common skink species in area
Waiharakeke grass skink Oligosoma aff. polychroma Clade 2 At Risk - Declining Known southern limit in Waipapa Bay Waitaha/Canterbury gecko Woodworthia cf. brunnea At Risk - Declining ? ? Reaches northern limit in Hundalees Raukawa gecko Woodworthia maculata Not Threatened ? Reaches southern limit in Marlborough (Hapuku River) Marlborough mini gecko/minimac Woodworthia “Marlborough mini” Not Threatened ? Most common gecko species in area Southern Alps gecko Woodworthia “Southern Alps” Not Threatened ? Uncommon in coastal Marlborough
NCTIR
Technical Document No. 3: Coastal, Oceanic & Riverine Birds Page 13