Chatham Islands Conservation Management Strategy AUGUST 1999 Chatham Islands Conservation Management Strategy August 1999 Published by: Department of Conservation PO Box 5086 Wellington New Zealand Wellington Conservancy Conservation Management Planning Series No. 8 ISSN 1172-9406 ISBN 0-478-21894-X © 1999, Department of Conservation Cover image from a photograph by C.J.R. Robertson Foreword The Chatham Islands environment is special; rich in its variety of indigenous plants and animals, historic relics and landscapes. Many of the plants and animals found at the Chatham Islands are unique and are found only there, making these islands particularly significant for conservation. The Chatham Island community has strong ties to its land and resources and a high awareness of conservation issues. Many of the islanders are actively involved in the guardianship of these natural and historic resources. The Chatham Islands Conservation Management Strategy (CMS) which was prepared in accordance with Part IIIA of the Conservation Act 1987, recognises the special significance of the Chatham Islands and the need for the Department to work closely with the island community in achieving conservation results. It sets out the management directions for the Department in the Chatham Islands over the next ten years. A conservation management strategy is a statutory document which implements general policies and establishes objectives for the integrated management of natural (including land and species) and historic resources. Its effects are quite important. Some activities on land administered by the Department can only take place by and in accordance with the conservation management strategy. Those preparing regional and district plans under the Resource Management Act must have regard to any relevant conservation management strategy. It must be noted however, that a CMS is generally a statement of intent and, although in itself a document having statutory backing, it does not override the provisions of legislation and general policy. This CMS has been prepared in consultation with the Chatham Island Conservation Board and was available for public comment from May to October 1996, with a total of 26 submissions received. Formal hearings before representatives of the Conservation Board and the Department were held for nine submitters who spoke in support of their submissions. All submissions received are summarised in a separate document. After considering all the submissions a summary of them was prepared and the draft CMS was revised. The revised draft CMS and a summary of the submissions were presented to the Chatham Island Conservation Board for its consideration. The Board requested further amendments to ensure that the document played due attention to public opinion as expressed through submissions and consultation. In March 1999 the Board submitted the CMS to the New Zealand Conservation Authority for approval. A committee of the Authority met the Board on Chatham Island and discussed relevant issues with Board members. The Authority consulted the Minister of Conservation and requested further amendments. The amendments were made and this Conservation Management Strategy was subsequently approved by the New Zealand Conservation Authority on 12 August 1999. Sir Duncan McMullin Chairperson New Zealand Conservation Authority August 1999 CONTENTS page 1. Introduction 1 1.1 How to Use This Document 1 1.2 What is a Conservation Management Strategy? 1 1.3 Functions and Roles 2 1.4 Relationship Between Resource Management Act and Conservation Act 2 2. Chatham Islands 5 2.1 An Overview 5 2.2 The New Zealand Context 7 2.3 The Land and The People 7 2.4 Biodiversity 10 2.5 History 11 2.6 Recreation 12 2.7 Background Reading 12 3. Kaupapa 13 3.1 Chatham Islands Mission 13 3.2 Chatham Islands Conservation in the Year 2006 13 3.3 How Can This Be Achieved by 2006? 16 4. CMS Goals and Priorities 19 4.1 Departmental Management Goals 19 4.2 Priorities 22 5. Place Objectives and Implementation 31 5.1 Introduction 31 5.1.1 Places 31 5.1.2 Place Priority Setting 32 5.2 Chatham Island 33 5.2.1 Community Liaison and Involvement 44 5.2.2 Landscape Protection 44 5.2.3 Habitat Re-establishment and Protection 45 5.2.4 Coastal Management of Te Whanga 46 5.2.5 Indigenous Species Protection 47 5.2.6 Historic Resources 47 5.2.7 Animal Pests and Wild Animal Control 49 5.2.8 Plant Pests and Exotic Plants 51 5.2.9 Visitor Services 52 5.2.10 Customary Iwi Use 54 5.2.11 Sustainable Resource Management 55 5.3 Pitt Island 57 5.3.1 Community Liaison and Involvement 64 5.3.2 Habitat Protection 65 5.3.3 Species Protection 66 5.3.4 Historic Places 67 5.3.5 Predator Eradication 68 5.3.6 Pest Contingencies 69 5.3.7 Visitor Management 70 5.3.8 Lease Area Management 71 CONTENTS cont. page 5.4 Mangere and Rangatira 73 5.4.1 Community Liaison and Involvement 81 5.4.2 Ecosystem Protection 83 5.4.3 Habitat Restoration and Historic Places 84 5.4.4 Indigenous Species Protection and Preservation 85 5.4.5 Visitor Management 86 5.4.6 Illegal Entry and Bird Harvest 88 5.5 Other Islands 89 5.5.1 Island Owner and Community Liaison and Involvement 95 5.5.2 Ecosystem Protection 98 5.5.3 Indigenous Species Management 99 5.5.4 Customary Use 100 5.5.5 Historic Places 101 6. Activity Objectives and Implementation 103 6.1 People Partnership 105 6.1.1 Introduction and Overview 105 6.1.2 Treaty Relationships 105 6.1.3 Community Liaison and Involvement 110 6.2 Heritage Conservation 115 6.2.1 Introduction and Overview 115 6.2.2 Landscape 116 6.2.3 Land Ecosystems 120 6.2.4 Freshwater Ecosystems 132 6.2.5 Marine Ecosystems 138 6.2.6 Indigenous Species 144 6.2.7 Historic Resources 164 6.2.8 Animal Pests and Wild Animals 173 6.2.9 Plant Pests and Exotic Plants 182 6.2.10 Fire 188 6.3 Visitor Services 193 6.4 Other Uses and Concessions 205 6.4.1 Other Commercial and Community Use 205 6.4.2 Military Use 212 6.4.3 Customary Iwi Use 213 6.4.4 Concessions General 216 6.5 Departmental Management 223 6.5.1 Introduction and Overview 223 6.5.2 Statutory Land Management 223 6.5.3 Compliance and Law Enforcement 229 6.5.4 Environmental Protection 231 6.5.5 Research 234 6.5.6 Survey, Monitoring and Information Management 238 7. CMS Administration 243 7.1 Management Plans and Functional Planning 243 7.2 CMS Implementation 245 CONTENTS cont. page Glossary 249 Abbreviations 260 Bibliography 261 Appendices 1. Plant and Animal Names 265 2. Part II, Resource Management Act 1991 271 3. New Zealand Water Care and Environmental Care Codes 273 Schedules 277 Introduction 277 How to Use the Schedules 277 Schedule I 279 Schedule II 285 Index 319 Tables 1. Chatham Islands in a National Context 8 2. Chatham Islands Associates and Roles 17 3. Overview of Key Conservation Priorities 24 4. Key Priorities for Chatham Island 40 5. Key Priorities for Pitt Island 62 6. Summary of Current Management Activities in the Mangere and Rangatira Nature Reserves 79 7. Key Priorities for Mangere and Rangatira Nature Reserves 82 8. Natural Values of Significant Other Islands 92 9. Key Priorities for Other Islands 96 10. Key Treaty Partnership Priorities 110 11. Key Community Liaison and Involvement Priorities 114 12. Key Landscape Priorities 119 13. Main Vegetation Types of Chatham, Pitt, Rangatira and Mangere Islands 122 14. Mechanisms Available for Protecting Land with Natural and Historic Values 126 15. Key Land Ecosystem Priorities 130 16. Key Freshwater Ecosystem Priorities 137 17. Key Marine Ecosystem Priorities 143 18. Key Indigenous Species Priorities 154 19. Key Historic Resources Priorities 172 20. Present and Potential Animal Pests and Wild Animals of Relevance to Chatham Islands 175 21. Key Animal Pests and Wild Animals Priorities 182 22. Key Plant Pests and Exotic Plants Priorities 187 23. Key Fire Priorities 191 24. Key Visitor Services Priorities 204 25. Key Other Commercial and Community Use Priorities 211 26. Key Military Use Priorities 213 27. Key Customary Iwi Use Priorities 216 28. Key Statutory Land Management Priorities 228 29. Key Compliance and Law Enforcement Priorities 231 30. Key Survey, Monitoring and Information Management Priorities 241 31. Lands Managed by the Department 279 32. Private Lands Protected by Conservation Covenants/Kawenata 281 33. Other Reserve Lands 283 34. Land Units For Which No Schedule II Record Sheet Prepared 284 Maps 1. Chatham Islands 6 2. Chatham Island facing 34 3. Pitt Island 58 4. Mangere 74 5. Rangatira 75 6. Other Islands 90 7. Chatham Islands Sheet 1 facing 278 8. Chatham Islands Sheet 2 facing 278 SECTION 1 Introduction Tara King – Pitt Island School 1. Introduction 1.1 HOW TO USE THIS DOCUMENT The Chatham Islands Conservation Management Strategy is a complex document. It can be studied by reading just those sections dealing with a specific place (see Part 5) or a specific issue (see Part 6). However, to get a fuller picture of the Department’s responsibilities, wider reading of the document is needed. The CMS contains seven major sections, setting out departmental management directions for the next ten years and schedules of the lands managed by the Department, which should be read in conjunction with Parts 1 to 7. 1.2 WHAT IS A CONSERVATION MANAGEMENT STRATEGY? Conservation Management Strategies (CMSs) are a statutory requirement of the Conservation Act 1987 and are being prepared for each of the 13 conservancies administered by the Department of Conservation in New Zealand.