Section 6

Land Resource Inventory. '- . '

~":, .~ --C'I::,.., --:•,:·__ rny~ ...,....,._,7 ,.., AGltlCUl.l\JREand HOl

~-=~-...nat IZ'3 - CIID-

...,,_.,,,., IOI: IIQIIT'O,UUIII o-,.._.., _____ ---·--·

,.,,,._ s..;1at.i,, I« J>GalCVlMEand HOl

Phylicol Suitability Fo, fNDIOENOUSFORfS':, ... PhyKol Swobillry lot EXOTIC FO~ESTRY

0

• thy,icOI Sui1oblit y lo, S::Yt"\TI( s:noi:~ T: '¥' l

·.;, , '1iC:1, .

""'"tfCIEATIONs..,.- r lat ------, '*

GREAT BARRIER ISLAND

WETLAND HABITATS

8 l

0 Mtd l ond~ Ouch North

t!il\li K c~, ~u,.,S\,,,om p L rorcstry 1-tO.&y

P J

Q l

R Motoirchc- ao1 S J.lotoirtt:c- $,,,.,.:~

v wo,ruu ~o:,

V Wher,;o;>orcporo Hoarb,:n,1r e!)!.E.fillA.L • W Vl)~r ,-.·.~opo,,o ·c.s tuory l OVT$TANOll'fG . Ill KIGH .. OIJT~T~NOINO · .\ .,,,.·,-~rd. I!lill . :· WryWI ~ : -' .. CiU•r"" . •. • 1 I.,· l[J;] , •: /' l"u,.)l.ul ·\'-.~:•:=d r;_: ; . T S;»llc-u Croll• POT£NTIAL 8B ,.. 1-:cw Zcolol'ld Oottel"Cf L~c-•t CO'Kcl'ltf"Ol!o111 of Qrc,,,,,n T~ I. •

,..,.,..,,, lrnportont '••dl"'f 0,._ , S)"l'\bOI'• r«prt,.,....t •;ot •-lhtr11~, c11•• ore lor 8ro...,n TcoL • ploCcd bc-:sf(c the- lld•itot in wn.c.h U'l

CONSEA\IATION ~ l a.::c.-.·. CONSERVATION land lia~ r(fl 33 SECTION6 LANORESOURCE INVENTORY

6. 1 PURPOSE OF THE STUDY One of the fundamental problems that the Council has faced in the prepara tion of the District Scheme, has been the lac k of suitable research information, to be able to assess the land use alternatives available on the Island .

In the past, information was either out of date or uncoordi ~ated, and this added to the difficulity in analysing t he land use capability.

The decision was made by the ·council early in preparation of the District Scheme that a land use assessment be made covering the County. This study was coordinated by the Lands and Survey Department, in conjunction with the Council. The intention was that the study be used as a planning tool to assist the Council in making land use management decisions for the District Scheme...... •.,i The invo lved Government Agencies were:- I . Lands and Survey Department. 2: New Zealand Forest Service. 3. The Department of Scientific Industrial Research. 4. The Department of A9ricul ture and Fis heries. 5. The Wildlife Division of the Department of Internal Affairs. 6. \'later and Soils Division of the Ministry of Works.

6.1.1 OBJECTIVE: The purpose of the Land Resource Inventory could be summarised as follows:-

(a) An inventory of the various natural resources and cultural features of the Islan d. (b) A classification and identification of the various concerns of Central Government Agencies, private interest groups and the Counci 1. (c) An assessment of some of the potential uses of the land resources that can sustain.

(_d) To guide and aid Central Government Departments Involved with planning land resources on the Island. (e) To guide and aid the Council in the preparation of the District Scheme and its administration. 34

6 . 1.2 RESPONSIBILITYFOR ADMINISTRATION

The Land Resource Inventory in tota 1 is not part . of the Council's District Sch.Ellle. However the Council has fonnulated statements from the work covered by the Inventory, and intends these to fonn the basis for future land uses proposed i n certain areas.

The Land Resource Inventory identifies the environmentally sensitive areas and in response to these factors, various zones have been derived, pennitting or restricting land use activities.

6. I. 3 GOVERNMEtlTUSES OF THE RESOURCEHlVENTORY Government Agencies have also use d the Land Resource Inventory to help fonnulate po 1ici es for Crown Land. The main areas that this app l ies to are the Lands and Survey Block at , and the Hew Zealand Forest Service State Forest in the centre of the Island.

6.2 TOPOGRAPHY The topographic pla n of the inventory is based on plans held by the Lands and Survey Department. The purpose of the Slope Plan is to determine the 1and areas, irrespective of ownership or contro 1s that ca n suggest a 1ter nat i ve forms of land use. The most import ant aspects - ar e the restrtctions of certa i n la nd uses on steep areas , due to water and soi l and conservation constraints.

OBJECTIVE:To encourage the use by the gene ral public of the Slope Map to enable suitable land uses or alternatives to be considered • ...- , j POLICIES: 1. That agricultural or horticult ure be encouraged on land having a suitable zoning .

2. To ensure that land is not subjected to clearing or destr uction of vegetat i on where erosion or 1and stability problems are ir.minent . Land clearing and destr uction of vegetation will be discouraged.

6. 3 CLIMATE The rainfall recorded at , is between 1500 and 1700mma year, with approximately 75% occu r i ng bet11een the winter months, April to September .

This makes for dry periods during the summer, with rainfalls occ"ring on about 160 days annually. Temperatur e ra nges 24°c maximumduring sumner to s0 c minimum during winter. 35

The climate is similar to the districts immediately to the North of ; the climate is warm and humid during the summer, droughts can occur during the period December to Apri 1 .

6.4 SOILS About two fifths of the Island's area (11,200 hectares) · consist of Skel etal soils. This country is steep to very steep, covered mostly in forest and scrub. A further 4,300 hectaresar.e steep and ro lling . These soils are mostly of a clay type and are formed from greywacke, andesite, some daci te and basalt.

Volcanic rock and andesite covers mostly steep to rolling country.(11, 445 ha)

Erosion is a hazard in these areas, due in some measures to the granular nature of the soil . Under dry conditions there is wind erosion and in rainy periods sheet erosion. This erosion i s mostly a feature of North facing country .

In developing this class of land, strict soil conservation measures are needed to preve nt erosion.

There are about 1,000 hectares of easy rolling country, part of which are consolidated. sands.

Alluvial river flats occupy about 180 hectares, with peaty loams in drained and undratned swamps covering 770 hectares .

6.4. l Table showing soil groups on the Is land . 36

Percent of Total Area

Skeletal Soils 11,200 Steep and very steep 53 steep rolling to steep 4,300

Rolling and steep rolling 11,445 40 Easy 1,000 Peaty loams (drained and undra ined swamps) 770 7 Alluvial soils 285

29,000 100

The soils of Great · Barrier ls land have deve 1oped in a warm moist climate under a sub-tropical rain forest.

This process has led to soils of low natural fertil ity which tend to be acidic and poorly supplied with many plantnut rients apart from magnesium. Phosphorus and calcium are both deficient .

These comments not only apply to soils formed from sedimentary and volcanic rock but also to the soils of valley floors be they alluvial, peaty or the low sandy easy ridges rising from the peaty swamps.

Nial bringing any of this land into past ure, superphosphate is needed and lime would also be beneficial.

All alluvial and swamp land needs to be drained, using init ia lly an open drainage system to lo..er water tables. As sooe of this land is no great height above sea level, problems arise due to bar formatio n at stream outlets to the sea, or because of the difficulties in deepening channels.

6.5.1 LIVESTOCKTRENDS The following table shows the trends in stock numbers over the past JO years: 37

TABLESHOWING LIVESTOCK TRENDS - GREATBARRIER ISLAND Total Beef Cattle Total Sheep Total Year Cattle S. Us. Sheep S.Us. S. Us.

1942 10660 10707 908.6 19746

1950 888 10590 9728 8755 19345

1961 892 9746 10798 9720 19466

1970 2393 15482 10538 9480 24962

,r;"- , 1979 2625 14437 9074 8170 22607 ~--;

As the table shows, total stock units on the Island have remained relatively constant during this period. Since 1960 however, there has been a steady decline in dairy cow numbers to a point where no commercial herds are milked on the Isla nd today .

This decline in dairy numbers has been coupled with a corresponding increase in beef cattle while sheep numbers have remained reasonably static.

Many..areas have been repeatedly burnt as a means of clearing the scrub, and this practice has resulted in severe erosion on some of the poorer soils.

The situation today is that only a few farmers are farming on a viable scale .

6.5.2 AGRICULTURALPOTENTIAL

The Land Resource hventory shows the potential areas that could be used for pastoral farming on the Island. The classifica tion shows · the suitability of land in accordance with stock units. The classification being;-

High 20 SUs/ha i".edium - 15 SUs/ ha Low 10 SUs/ha 38 The agricultural potential was then considered under ti,Q alternatives: Alternative A - Areas with very high values for uses other than agriculture (e .g . conservation, forestry, sanctuaries, existing reserves, etc .) eli minated from the suitability classification.

Alternative 8 - Areas with~ values for uses other than agriculture eliminated from the suitability classification.

The res ults are as follows:-

Potential Area ( hectares) Medium Total Unsuitable Suitability (No constraints) 2270 9790 11360 23420 5230 Alternative A 1800 8570 7460 17330 1800 Alternative B 1430 5680 4440 11550 940

Pote ntial Stock Units Medium !:2!:!.... Total Suitability (No constraints) 45,400 146,850 113,600 305,850 Alternative A 36,000 128,850 74,600 239,450 Alternative 8 28,600 85,200 44,400 158,200

As the figures show Alternative A eliminates 5570 hectares (19.4 1) fror.i agriculture giving a total of 17830 hectares available and Alternative 8 eliminates 11870 hectares (41.4 %) giving a total of 11550 hectares available. There could be a potential increase in sheep and beef cattle stock units, •-·, with probably a greater emphasis on cattle.

However, in making th ese assessments, it should be recognised that t"° major factors are l ikely to influence this, these are:-

1. That a high degree of subdivision has taken place, mainly i.n the Southern part of the Island, which will affect the size of the holdings.and problems related to the transportation of stock and produce to the mainland.

2. The higher cost structur~ . associated with farming on Great Barrier Island, namely freight, fertiliser and po1

6. 5. 3 HORT!CULTURE POTENTIAL Few soils on Great Barrier Is land have the structure to withstand intensive cultivation, or the drainage ability of the Class 1 soils typical of the region surrounding Auckland. The very 1imited areas suitable for horticulture "°uld still need drainage down to a depth of 1 metre before they could be used.

Some potentially good soils have not been classified Class 1 for horticult ure because they have not yet been drained . For example the Northern Awana swamp area and the swamp in Mitchener Valley. These localities have not been drained as wel 1 as the Southern Awana swampor Medlands/Masons Road areas, but if drainage outfall is adequate they could be developed into good horticulture land.

Some of the soils have a very fragile organic layer over sand and would not stand frequent cultivation.

Many small areas of Class 1 for agricultura ,1 use would be suitable for horticultural crops, provided that adequate drainage was available .

The main handicap to horticulture, is the cost and diffic ulty in transporting supplies. Marketing may be difficult and could restrict crops to those which can be stored, so that bulk lots can be barged to Auckland for sa le and export. A good opportunity does however exist for the setting up of co-operatives for growing, transportation and marketing,and the co-operative use of machinery. Soil of good quality must be preserved in lots large enough for economic production. These soils should also be reserved for pastoral or horticultu ral cropping, so that, even if they are not developed in the immediate future, they will be available for future use .

OBJECTIVE: That the Council encourages the use of the Cl ass 1 soi 1s for intensive horticulture and prevent the loss of horticult ural lands to alternative land uses, which are not based on the intensive use of the soil.

POLICIES: 1. That the areas of Cl ass 1 soils be protected from alternative land uses , that are not based or associated with the use of the soil. 40

2. That encouragement be giv en to land owners to drain the wet but highly arable soils to enable hor tic ultural development to be undertaken.

3. That subdivision boundaries for intens ive use of Class I soi ls or agricu l tural land be lo cated so that the optimum use of the land is achieved.

4. That the Counci 1 encourage the grouping on a voluntary basis of smaller holdings to enable larg er agric ult ura 1 or horticultura l ~nterpr i ses to be carried out.

5. That th e formation of cooperatives for farming be , ..) encouraged, to minimise the tra nsportat i on and marketing problems currently occurring on the Is land.

6. That the Lands and Survey Department be encouraged to actively farm Harataonga.

7. That the Crown be encouraged to develop all Class I land held in its ownership, except for all land known as the Kaitoke Swampand its immediate surrou nds.

8. That the Crown be required to form fire break between ttie State Forest and the Southern end of the Island.

The most suitable areas for agriculture, where there is the lea st conflict with other land use factors are as follows:-

1. Katherine Bay 2. Smokehouse Bay Peninsu la 3. District 4. Harataonga 41 5. Awana Valley 6. Okupu- 81 ind Bay 7. Tryphena - Rosa1 i e Bay 8. Tryphena - Cape Barrier 9. Tryphena - Schooner Bay 10. Mediand Va11 ey 11. Claris 6.6 LANDUSE FORESTRY Most of the Island's forests had not been touched before 1840, however in 1843 the kauri was exploited by the Kauri Timber Companyand i,ork was continued through until 1941 when the bulk of the central Island was sold to the New Zealand Forest Service. By this time all merchantable kauri over 30cm in diameter had been used for timber, except for an area of 70 hectares around the summit of Mt Hobson, and a few other inaccessible areas.

Following exploitation of the timber resource, the land was left to revert to scrubland. Most of the land previously growing kauri was dug over for kauri gum, and large tracts were burnt over to clear the land for pasture development and farming. A considerable area in the central -western part of the Island developed into second-crop kauri regeneration. It was the future management of these regenerated kauri stands in which the Forest Service was concerned, and prompted purchase of the Kauri Timber Company land in 1943. The Forest Service has been active on the Island since 1945.

The Forest Service administers a total of 7952.7667 hectares on the Island comprised as fo 11ows: - Wairahi Fores t Sanctuary gazetted 1973 470 ha - Stat e Forest Recreational Area, gazetted January 1974 - 7482. 7667 ha - 7952. 7667 ha

The long history of stand manipulation and researc h by the Forest Service has served to il lust rate the considerable management potentia l of kauri. This realisation led the Government, in 1973, to approve a rev i'sed kauri policy which as its objective has the perpetuation of kauri as a species, both in mature stands (whether healthy or not) and as managed forests. Kauri' management has aimed at tending regene rated kauri stands thro ugh competing scrub vegetation, and thinning stands so that fast growth can be maintained on crop trees to allow merchantable sized trees to be grown for timber production. In areas where nat ural regeneration has been absent or poor, seedlrngs have been planted artificially to supplement areas of adequate natural regeneration.

The Wairahi Fores t Sanctuary was set aside from other State Forest areas in 1973 to preserve important stands of regenerati ng kauri and pohutukawa forest for scientific purposes. 42 In 1974 th e State Forest area (excluding the Wairahi Forest Sanctuary) was gazetted a Recreation Area under Section 630 of the Forests Act 1949.

Because of the importance of Kauri from a national point of view it is not intended to plant existing State Forest .areas in exotic species, and the Forest Service has no aspirations to plant exotics for production on Great Barrier Island.

The proposa 1 s for the scope and extent of fut ure management of the indigenous forests of the Island are largely detennined by the forest types present .

(i) The central area (including State Forest) contained most of the vi rgi n kauri once present on the Island. It is this area that offers best prospects for umanagement of second crop kauri, and the area al so contains the best podocarp - hardwood stands on the Is la nd. It is envisaged that kauri timber production will come from selective thin ning of second crop kauri stands within 5-10 years. Logging will be by helicopter, the quality of kauri resources is currently being assessed. (ii) The Northern area (private land) much of which is virtually unlogged comprises mostly hardwoods with scattered podocarps and a little kauri . Some land clearing for fanning too k place in the Southern portion of the area, but has since reverted to scrub. This area is typified by steep skeletal soils and together with the depredations of goats and pigs on the vegetation, has resulted in slumping in some areas . The area is important protectio n forest .

(i ii) The Southern and Eastern areas also consist mainly of hardwoods with scattered podocarps and pockets of kauri. Past loggin g was 1 imited, but clearing and burning of land for fanning dating back to 1860 had been extensive . Exposure to south- westerly winds, land clearing, declining profitability of fanning, subdivision into small land tenure blocks has all resulted in much of the area reverting to scrub and introduced exotic weeds.

The soils type s on the Isla nd are frequently shallow, skeletal, nat ura lly infertile or poorly drained, and these combined with other factors such as isolation of market, difficulty of tra nsport, effect of salt wind on pasture and hig h development costs have made fanning difficult. One alternative use for th is unproductive land (principally in the South and Eastern parts of the Island) is exotic afforestat ion, but satisfactory growth rates could not be obtained without fertiliser application, drainage and soil cultivation. 43

In the South the soil types are mainly Waitakere Clay, Te Kie Clay Loam and Stony Sandy Loam, and Awapuku clay Loam. These are all brown granular loams and clays of varying maturity.

The site index which is a comparative function of the suitability of an area to grow pines (height of Radiata at age 20 years) varies from 19-31 metres on the range of soil types present on the Isla nd , assuming drainage on the better soil types which are loc ate d on t he flats.

The soil types in these South Easter n zones are generally class I II to VIII which are subject to coasta 1 infl uences -results in 1imitation of growth due to wind and salt desiccation .

The site indices for various soil types are attached in the Appendix. Generally these are less than mainland areas of forestry development on similar soils due to coastal influences.

The area . of Indigenous forestry suitability classes are tabled below, showing their extent when: -

(a) llo constraints are incl uded. (b) Area exc ludi ng re serves and areas containing native vegetation and environmental considerations

rnoIGENOUS NO CONSTRAINT AREAEXCLUOING RESERVES SUITABILITYCLASS ANOAREAS CONTAIIIING NATIVEVEGETATION ANO OTHE ENVIRONMENTALCONS IDE RA TI OUS. High sui tabi 1 i ty 4210 ha Medium suitability 7380 ha 4470 ha Low suitability 13380 ha 7120 ha Unsuitable 3730 ha 900 ha TOTAL 28700 ha 12490 ha

6 . 7 EXOTICFORESTRY Maps have been prepa red to indicate scale and locality of suitability for exotic forestry using map overlays as used in indigenous fo restry suitability. In addition, aerial photographs were us ed to determine the locality and extent of rocky bluf fs, slumping, and existing pasturela nd. 44

The area of exotic suitability classes are tabled below under similar headings to the indigenous forestry suitability area table.

Area excludi ng reserve, and areas containing Exotic native vegetation and Suitability Class No Constraint other environmental considerations

Medium suitability 3490 ha 2920 ha Low suitability 16250 ha 7720 ha Unsuitab l e 8960 ha 1850 ha TOTAL 28700 ha 12490 ha

RECOMMENDATIONS The forestry suitability has been ranked high, medium, low and unsuitable for indigenous forestry; and medium, low and unsuitable for exotic fores try.- Suitability rankings have been based on existing vegetation cover, slope, soils and preservation scenarios . Maps indicating the loca l i ty and extent of areas under the vario us suitability rankings have been prepared and are il 1ustrated on the enclosed maps.

(i) Indigeno us forestry potential Indigenous forest management has cons iderable scope on a relatively large scale, aimed at pro ducing hardwood and softwood t imbers for specialist end uses.

Long rotat ion lengths and complexity of management may make it unattractive to private owners .

State Forest kauri management wil 1 cont in ue on State Forest areas as outlined i n Forest Service Management proposa 1s.

(ii) Exotic Forestry Potential The potential of exotic afforestatio n with pines is not good because of poor soils, lack of management units of workable size, and other diffic ulties such as steep terrain, extraction problems and transportation of logs and/or sawn timber to markets. This could change with the advent of facilities at Marsden Point.

There is scope for exoti c afforestation with pines for shelter and smal 1 fann woodlots. There is a much brighter prospect for afforestation on good sites with special purpose timber species such as Eucalypts, Blackwood, Cypresses, aimed at producing wood for small-scale cottage industries. It is desirable to establish exot ic forests, to make the Island self sufficient in timber production . 45 6. 8 RECREATION ATTRACTIONSTO THE ISLAND

Great Barrier Island has lo ng been regarded as a place having a particular attractiveness for residents and visitors alike. To a certain extent the Island owes its attractiveness not only to its scenic features, but also to the way in which the Island is regarded by people who have become acquainted 1

Perhaps the tenuous and certain fragile qualities that have been descr ibed as aspects of the Island's unique "chann" or character which would probably consist of a variety of elements; the isolation, remoteness and relative primitive level of development feature promine ntly in the composite natu re of the Island.

FORESTRYUSAGE Two huts maintained by the New Zealand Forest Service have been provided for use by tramping part ies;by th e . Kaiarai•a Stream on the road through the forest, and near , approximately 400 metres up the track from the head of the harbour . No charge is made for the use of these huts, and excellent facilities of their kind are provided in locations where tramp i ng parties take advantage of them when walking between Port Fitzroy and Whangaparapara , perhaps via Mount Hobson.

CAMPlllG AREAS

There are two registered camping grounds on Great Barri er, these being at Okiwi and Claris. Indisc riminate camping however takes place at the Awana/Okiwi airstrip, , Whangaparapara and Tryphena, ma.i nly due to the fact that there are no faci 1 it ies provided in these areas for campers to use. The C demand for camping is mainly confined to the East Coast of the Island in close proximity to the Ocean Beaches.

ACCOMMODATION More organised accommodation for recreation is found at the following loca tions:-

1. Port Fitzroy 2. The Awana 3. Medlands Beach 4. Tryphena s. Shoal Bay 6. Whangaparapara The variety of accommodation available is namely motels, boarding houses , guest houses and camping grounds . At present informal camping . predominates, and there is a need for more camping grounds -to be established at suitable locations . 46

POPULATIONSIZE Land Based population Size The estimated visitor population land based would be upward of 4,000 people during the period of December to January . The water based population in all forms of boats as at January 1981 would be 3,200.

This gives a combined visitor population over the December 1980 to Ja nuary 1981 period of 7,600 people on the Island.

OBJECTIVE: To encourage the continued development of G~at Barrier Is la nd as an important recreational area for local and itinerant use.

POLICIES: l. To maintain areas based on 1and and sea, that are vital to public recreational use .

2. To ensure that recreation areas are in harmony with other use s.

3. To encourage the devel opment of coastal walkways with the consent of the land owner.

4. To encourage the setting aside of private recreation areas suitable for camping on la nd adjacent to the coastal environment.

5. The central a~a under control of the New Zealand Forest Service be protected for recr ea ti ona 1 use.

6. To l ias with Government agencies for the deve lopment and protect io n of those areas that come within the jurisdiction of the Lands and Survey Department, New Zeal and Forest Service and t he Mari time Parks Board.

7. To prov ide work for the local population. 47

6.9.l. \HLOLIFE It is recognised that there are wildlife species on Great Barrier that are under threat of extinction, and which should be protected. The problem of protection is aggravated by human intervention.

It is Council's policy wherever possible that areas under threat should be conserved so that the species are not at risk . Some of the species that are under threat are:-

1. Brown Teal duck. 2. Black petrel . 3. Banded rail. 4. New Zealand Ootterel. 5. Kokako. 6. A variety of Skinks. The above species have been located by the \Jildlife Division over large areas of Great Barrier. Management and status of these vulnerable species should be controlled by the Council in conjunction with the Wildlife Service. \/here there are sensitive wildl i fe areas, authorised land use li kely to effect the wild l ife will be controlled.

The location of sensitive areas are indicated on the Bi'ological Resources Plan for the wi1 dl i fe areas shoM1 as "W". OBJECTIVE: To preserve those habitats important for the species identified in the enclosed schedule, brown teal duck, black petrel , banded rail, N.Z. Oottrel, kbkako and a variety of skinks and spotless crake.

() OLICIES: 1. To control land uses that conflict with the above objective .

2. To encourage the public to recognise and appreciate the values of wildlife in general.

3. To work in liason with the Wildlife Service to carry out the above objective. 48 6. 9.2 VEGETATION The main vegetation covering the Island is in the form of the following:- (i) Kauri 14.5 % (ii) Podocarp/broad leaf 15. 6% (iii) Coastal broad leaf 1.6% (iv) Manuka and kanuka 54.2 %

TOTAL 85. 9% The balance of the Island is in pasture, swamp and salt marsh . In the North podocarp/broad leaf and kanuka predominates . This area has not been cleared, and remains in its natural state. The centre of the Island predominately is in kauri, kanuka and manuka, at varying stages of growth. The New Zealand Forest Service have a programme of kauri planting and regenerat ion. This area takes up the bulk of the land in the central part of the Is land. The areas held by the Forest Service close to Haratoanga wil 1 not be replanted but al lowed to regenerate naturally. At this stage there is no intention by the Forest Service to mill or , log any of the kauri within the State Forest area, however selected thinning will be carried out by helicopter. The Southern region consists of podocarp/broad leaf, manuka and kanuka, and some coastal broad leaf. Large areas of fern cover, are the result of past fires as a method of land clearance.

Significant areas of vegetation have been included in zones where there is a need for preservation and careful management is recogntsed.

The quality of vegetation found on the Island is ass i•sted by the absence of opossum and feral deer. On the other hand w1'ld goats and pigs have affected considerable areas in t he centre of the I sland, and in the Northern Bush.

There are varieties of vegetation found on the Island that are rarely found on the mainland .

Fires, over the hills in the past have reduced much of the native vegetation to a state of second growth. Also t he decline of active farming has resulted in considerable areas of reverted scrub land. Because of the dominance of manuka and kanuka, the Council feel its protection is not essential.

OBJECTIVE: l. To protect those stands of forest t hat are scenic and recreational assets. 2. To protect those vegetation ty pes t hat are scientific, scenic and recreational assets. 49 POLICIES: 1, To encourage the conservat io n and protection of native species. 2. To encoura ge indigenous replanting prograrrmes and minimum impact recovery of kauri. 3. To permit removal of native vegetation only where a buildtng site or other authorised use is permitted. 6.10 • LANORESOURCES ANO WATER MANAG81ENT There being no reticulated water supply on the Island, residents and visitors rely on rain water catchment or draw supplies from natural water ways and springs . It is therefore essential that streams and rivers be protected and in particular the catchment areas . The relationship therefore bet...een la nd use and water use, must be in balance. Fut ure population increased and development will demand some form of reticulat ion. Catchment areas such as in the Mulberry Grove Valley must be - -. contained in their natural state.

As soil types on Great Barrier are mainly gran ulated, and of a clay structure, any disturbance can create considerable erosion, and consequent runoff into water ways.

OBJECTIVE: To ensure that the water catchment areas serving residential development are conserved in their natural state.

POLICIES: 1. To restrict intensive land use where the quality of water be under threat.

2. To encourage the retention of vegetatton a long a 11 water ways within 20 metres of the bank.

3. To ensure that septic tank or irrigation ftelds are not located closer than 20 metres to any natural water course.

4 . To make water available for agriculture and horticulture.

6. 11 HISTORIC SITES Under the Historic Places Act 1980, the Council are required by statute to protect all archaeolog ical sites from disturbance. As part of the invest igation for the Land Use Inventory, Historic and Pre-historic sites on the Island were investigated. 50 Although the investigation was not comprehensive, it has revealed significant areas of value. These sites are predominantly close to the coastal areas, and the river valleys. As well as those pre-European sites, there are al so significant buildings, places and objects of architectural, historic or scientific interest or natural beauty . Schedule of Pre - European sites and other objects or buildings or places or interest

I. Large pa site at Tryphena (Mulberry Grove) 2. Pa site at west and east end of Harataonga Bay. 3. Pa site and stone walls at Goat Hill, Oruawharo. 4. Pa at north end of . 5. Pa at t he Sugar Loaf between Oruawharo Bay and Kaitoke. 6. Pa on small island at beach line, Oruawharo 8ay . 7. Pa on headland at entrance to Whangaparapara Harbour. 8. Pa on south end Whangapoua. 9. Pa Point, Tryphena. 10. Stone Cottage at Okupu. 1I. Orevi 11e Battery 12. Old Tryphena School 13. Kauri timber trip dams in valleys behind Port Fitzroy Harbour. 14. Tapu areas at Kawa. 15. Stone walls at Tryphena . 16. Culverts at Puri r i Bay and Okupu. 17. Headland Pa, Overton's Beach. 18. Stone structures and terraces, Palmers Beach. 19. Stone structures and terrace, Blind Bay. 20 Various settlements at Harataonga. 21. Various other sto ne structures and terraces. 22. Settlement, Korotiti Bay, Awana.

Where intensive land use or work involving excavation or contouring of the gro und is considered, especially within 1 km of the coast, approval must be obtained from the Historic Places Trust before work can commence.

OBJECTIVE: Is to ensure that important sites and ot her items of Historic and Scientific value are preserved, and wherever possible recorded.

POLICIES: I. Where earthworks or other disturbance of the land within 1 km of the coast are comtemplated, approval from the Council and the Historic Places Trust must be o6ta i'ned. 51

2, That t he public be enc?uraged to monitor and i nform t he Council of any activity that may threaten such important sites.

3. That Council wi 11 inform the Historic Places Trust of any discoveries that may be of interest.

4. That the Council inform the Histori c Places Trust of any intended earthworks or land use activity which may be in archaeological sensitive areas.

S. To prohibit without the consent of the Council the dest ruction, removal, danger or alteration of item having architect ural, historic or scientific interest or natura 1 beauty.