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Meeting Paper For West Coast Tai Poutini Conservation Board TITLE OF PAPER STATUS REPORT AUTHOR: Mark Davies SUBJECT: Status Report for the Board for period ending 12 July 2017 DATE: 21 July 2017 SUMMARY: This report provides information on activities throughout the West Coast since the May meeting of the West Coast Tai Poutini Conservation Board. MARINE PLACE – South Westland has engaged a contractor from Canterbury University to carry out data entry and analysis with information gleaned from the survey of the Hautai Marine Reserve, which was carried out in March 2017. This work is well underway with data entry completed and updated into the database; and a Hautai report and a West Coast Regional report nearing completion. MONITORING The West Coast monitoring team completed possum monitoring in Arawhata and in the Whataroa valleys. The Arawhata was a post operational check of possum numbers to ensure the operation met its target of 5% or less RTC. Monitoring found an RTC of 3.6% in areas that were treated and therefore the operation met its targets. The Whataroa trend possum monitor found an RTC of 6.6%. The Whataroa has an aerial operational trigger level of 15% RTC and is expected to reach the trigger level by 2020. Powelliphanta superba harveyi (Nationally Endangered) snail monitoring on MacKay Downs found live snail numbers to be there lowest since 1996 (at 0.48 snails/100m2) and well below the long-term snail recovery goal of 12 snails/100m2. Introduced predators such as possums and rats are thought to be the biggest threat to the snail. This survey found that while they contribute to this decline, most snail shells found were whole or with signs of weka predation. Powelliphanta “patrickensis” (Nationally Endangered) monitoring on the Denniston plateau found a decline in the absolute number of snails, but the trend was not significant due to the high variability in the dataset. DOCCM-3086168 - Status Report July 2017 1 KARAMEA PLACE Planning Resource Consents received, Concessions/Permissions, Management Plans Two one-off concessions were completed for filming with a drone in Kahurangi National Park and still photography on the Heaphy Track. Two District comments completed for collection and exportation of mosses, and another to collect and export grasses for fungi. One affected party approval for a stand-off pad. Visitor Management Community Involvement/Initiatives The Karamea Area School are working with rangers to increase the biodiversity at the mouth of the Oparara River. The local farmer has donated a section of land which the school has fenced off and are planting to help create whitebait habitat. A nursery has been established at the school for the project. DOC has delivered several talks to the students on whitebait and geographical history of the area. Species Management Ongoing trapping in all rivers of the Oparara whio security site is being completed by contractors and DOC staff. Trap line maintenance and weight testing has been completed in the Ugly river. Further trap line maintenance is scheduled in the coming months. Animal Pest Control Recent rodent monitoring results have reduced the size of the proposed Battle for our Birds 2017 operation. Only the Heaphy and coastline will now be treated, due to insufficient rodent densities to warrant action, in other areas. Tracking tunnel lines for rodent monitoring were run in the Oparara area. Oparara Goat Control, hunters spent 30 days hunting, from the Kohaihai to the Oparara Arch with 21 goats killed. Additional operations will revisit the site around August including pig control towards the Heaphy. Heaphy Over recent years pig observations in the Heaphy River and coastal strips has increased. Pigs often predate snails and search the forest floor for worms causing vast damage by digging up large areas in a short space of time. Hunters will be deployed to search these sites. DOCCM-3086168 - Status Report July 2017 2 Weed Pest Control • Aerial eucalyptus control in the Oparara basin. • Aerial pampas control along coastline between Kohaihai and Mokihinui rivers. • Gorse control at McCallums Mill road. • Ginger and Pampass control in Arapito. • Ginger control Kohaihai. • Pampas control Karamea Estuary. • Search for Old Mans beard Karamea bluff. • Marram grass control north Heaphy coastline. Habitat Protection Nothing to report Fire Nothing to report Monitoring Nothing to report DOCCM-3086168 - Status Report July 2017 3 KAWATIRI PLACE Planning RMA, Concessions/Permissions, Management Plans A one-off concession was completed for filming with a drone. Five District comments completed for guided MTB tours, filming with a drone, guided fly fishing, collection, export of beetles and weevils, and undertaking kea research. Four affected party approvals for gold mining, coal mining, stream correction works, gravel extraction. Visitor Management Community Involvement/Initiatives Buller Conservation Volunteers spent a day undertaking historic maintenance at Denniston. Another day potting plants at the DOC nursery and planting 110 native species at the Tui Delica Reserve at Tauranga Bay. A day was also spent planting and releasing previously planted natives at the bays at Charleston to work in with the Corrections project. The Buller Conservation Volunteers have undertaken to revegetate the headland at Tauranga Bay and make it predator-proof to enhance the little blue penguin habitat as well as creating additional habitat to help reintroduce lizards to the area. They spent two days cutting trap lines and placing 20 traps for a new trap network around the headland. They have planted over 300 native species and several tracks have been cut to create access for more planting and additional traps. Corrections have been undertaking work at Charleston doing weed control and mowing the grass at the bays. They have ‘adopted’ the area and are regularly doing work to increase the recreational values of the bays. Buller High School students spent two days with a ranger planting natives along the Cape Foulwind walkway, and learning about the recreational and biodiversity values of the Cape and Tauranga Bay. Predator Free 2050 is gaining traction with rangers in direct contact with six individual groups who are setting up trap-lines around the District. There are twice that number of individuals operating on their own and rangers are slowly linking in with these. Rangers are involved with the new MenzShed and members will be building traps for the Departmental trap library to be used for upcoming projects and encouraging their members to build their own traps. SGS sponsored 20 new traps which were placed in a trap-line along the new Buller Cycle Club cycle-way from the Floating Basin to Kawatiri Beach Reserve. DOCCM-3086168 - Status Report July 2017 4 Historic Species Management Rangers planted Charleston gentian’s along Charleston coastline (75) and at the Tauranga bay security site (20), as part of the recovery programme. Animal Pest Control South Mokihinui Goat Control, DOC hunters spent 60 days hunting, from the Mountain Creek to the Upper headwaters with 105 goats killed, with aerial control removing additional goats. Hunters reported at least 6 pairs of Blue Ducks were consistently observed in the Upper sections around Granite Creek, a Great Spot Kiwi was observed in the South Mokihinui Prescription area and other kiwis were heard calling at night. The Department acknowledges the support of the Mokihinui Lyell Backcountry Trust, who also provide hunting effort in and around the Old Ghost Road track and margins. A total of 17 goats were killed by staff and volunteers and an additional 25 goats killed by aerial hunting. Weed Pest Control Pampas grass control at Millerton. Escallonia, Rhododendron and Nardus strica control at Denniston. Monitoring Nothing to report Fire Nothing to report DOCCM-3086168 - Status Report July 2017 5 PAPAROA PLACE Planning Resource Consents received, Concessions/Permissions, Management Plans One affected party approval for gravel extraction. Visitor Management Community Involvement/Initiatives Predator Free Truman (Truman Track and Hartmount Place) are active with 19 traps and have spurred other community members and business owners at Dolomite Point to start Predator Free Dolomite Point. Rangers have attended several meetings and assisted with creating the project. The traps will be built by the MenzShed in Westport and then put out and maintained by the Punakaiki community. They are creating a trap-line to protect the seabirds at Dolomite Point and then will look at expanding the traps towards the Paparoa mountains. Predator Free Dolomite Point are looking to showcase the new technologies from ZIP by using automated trap sensors. Species Management Burrow survey and occupancy counts have been completed at three Westland petrel colonies, with Te Papa researchers and the West Coast Penguin Trust. The remaining colonies will be surveyed by departmental staff in summer. Animal Pest Control Paparoa National Park Planning for the Battle for our Birds 2017 North Paparoa operation is making good progress. As part of this process, 12 new tracking tunnels lines were installed and made operational at the Four mile, Mount Bovis and Pororari. Punakaiki An assessment and collation of data from all past surveys and monitoring programmes has been untaken for targeted species e.g. Great spotted kiwi, Whio, Long-tailed bat etc. This work will guide future monitoring planning targets. A two-day workshop was held at Charleston to review the 1992 West Coast Cave and Karst Management Strategy and Operational Guidelines. This is currently being re-written to bring it up to date with current information; a draft is expected to be completed within the next year. Attendees were primarily DOC staff and members of the NZ Speleological Society. DOCCM-3086168 - Status Report July 2017 6 Weed Pest Control • Tradescantia control undertaken on the Coast Road at the Barrytown end of Croesus Track. • Gorse control in Bullock creek. • Gorse and blackberry control at CVNZ.