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TE RUNANGA PAPA ATAWHAI O TE UPOKO O TE IKA A MAUI WELLINGTON HAWKE’S BAY CONSERVATION BOARD CONFIRMED MINUTES OF MEETING FRIDAY 04 SEPTEMBER 2009 AT DEPARTMENT OF CONSERVATION WELLINGTON HAWKE’S BAY CONSERVANCY OFFICE PRESENT Helen Algar (Chairperson) John Hancock Margaret Shields (departed 2pm) Andrew (Andy) Foster (arrived 10am) Nicola (Nicky) Nelson Geoff Doring Rob McColl IN ATTENDANCE Alan McKenzie Conservator, DOC (arrived 1.30pm) Colin Miskelly Conservation Analyst Bronwyn Bell Conservation Board Secretary (CBS), DOC Hugh Barr New Zealand Deer Stalkers Association (NZDA) Bev Abbott Botanical Society 1.0 KARAKIA, WELCOME, ANNOUNCEMENTS The meeting started at 9.00am in the level 1 meeting room, Wellington Hawke’s Bay Conservancy Office, Thorndon, Wellington. Koro Tamarapa opened the meeting with a karakia. Helen Algar welcomed everyone. 2.0 APOLOGIES Ra Pomare 3.0 CONFIRMATION OF THE AGENDA, INTERESTS DECLARATION The Agenda was confirmed, with the following changes: Conservator Alan McKenzie gave apologies that he could not make the morning session. Item 6.0 Update with the Conservator, was rescheduled for the afternoon. Colin Miskelly attended on Alan’s behalf. Other changes and extra items for the agenda: Item 8.1 – Operation Kaka, moved forward before the Public Forum. Item 11.0 – General Business added: Conservation in the Cathedral, Jack Harris Tamara Block bequest, Fish & Game liason report, and National Environmental Standard on sea level rise from the Ministry for Environment. Interests Declaration None noted 509120 2 4.0 CONFIRMATION OF MINUTES OF LAST MEETING 26 JUNE 2009 Draft minutes for June’s meeting had been circulated previous to the meeting with a request for amendments. The Board: • Approved the Minutes of the meeting 26 June 2009. Helen Algar/Geoff Doring 5.0 MATTERS ARISING and ACTION SCHEDULE The matters arising of note included: • John Hancock said that DOC deserves congratulations for the new Atiwhakatu Hut, as he has received numerous positive comments . • Geoff Doring said that a large number of people attended the most recent planting day in the Wairarapa and it was a great success. • The action schedule was covered later in the meeting. 8.0 ADVICE TO DOC ON MANAGEMENT ISSUES 8.1 Optimising Biodiversity with Tararua Forest Park – Operation Kaka (working title) Colin Miskelly updated the Board on progress with ‘Operation Kaka’, the proposed new animal pest control regime in Tararua Forest Park. The Board was first introduced to the proposed project at the April 2009 Board meeting. The intention of the proposal is to move from the current 6 year rotation of canopy control for possum over 60,000 hectares, to a multi-pest targeted zone of 22,000 hectares to manage for improved biodiversity that uses a 3 year pest control rotation. The targeted pests are possum, rats, and mustelids (stoat/weasel family). Colin stressed that the title does not mean the project is supposed to focus on kaka alone, but biodiversity in general (including forest birds), with the potential to possibly re-introduce native species such as kiwi, whio and robin. The intention is to start in spring next year, suppressing predators before the bird breeding season begins. It is proposed to do a 3 year rotation with the application of a ‘pre-feed’, which is laying non-toxic bait a week or so before the toxic bait, to increase the chance of predators eating the toxic bait. This pre-feeding method has been demonstrated to achieve very high kill rates for rats and stoats. Up till now the Conservancy has not done the ‘pre-feed’ except with the current Otaki bio-zone. Due to the increased costs of using pre-feed, and a three-year return, aerial 1080 application over approximately 38,000 hectares will cease. The Board will receive the same information as stakeholders. There is a pamphlet, and a PowerPoint presentation being developed. Other information of a technical nature, such as monitoring and operational documents, is not intended to be given out to the public. Board member Rob McColl, the Board representative on the steering committee for this project, sent members the two recent draft documents about the proposal which were given to stakeholders also. Points from discussion included: • Sites both inside and outside the treatment area will undergo monitoring of animal pests and overall biodiversity, as it is important to see how the untreated areas will change. • Other agencies keen to assist in monitoring are; DOC’s National Research & Development group, Landcare Research (has it listed as their #1 national site), and Greater Wellington Regional Council (GWRC). • GWRC has Animal Health Board (AHB) funding on the eastern side of the zone which overlaps that area of the proposal, though long term funding may not be possible with AHB basing its priorities for possum control on bovine TB levels. DOC is still budgeting for the 3 year return. • October and November each year are the main times for baseline monitoring, which entails checking tracking tunnels and doing bird counts. Preparation for monitoring baseline data on mustelid/invertebrate levels is currently underway for this year. Docdm-485525 3 • It won’t be necessary to establish as many new lines on the western side, since the existing Otaki bio-zone has plots set up already. The eastern side will need a considerable amount of work. • The current Otaki bio-zone is 4,000 ha on the western side of Tararua Forest Park which consists of two overlapping blocks on the 6 year pest control cycle, and uses the 3 year cycle with ‘pre feed’ method. The entire Tararua Forest Park is 115,000 ha. • Rob McColl noted that multi-pest control over smaller areas with high biodiversity values is a national trend, and that this proposal is a ground breaker for research of national value. • Board members asked about the untreated 93,000 ha, and advised that DOC convey to the public and interested groups that this area is still under stewardship. • Colin said the expectation is that any decline in canopy condition will take a long time to determine, and noted that there are three other Forest Parks in the Conservancy that already don’t have any pest control program. DOC has been fortunate with the AHB’s work on the borders of the forest parks. • The current short-tailed bat zone is not included in the proposed area. There will still be a monitoring program for the bats. • Nicky Nelson asked whether the project area would be likely to expand once the core area was sorted. Colin said they hadn’t touched on that yet, due to the possibility for pest control programs in the other forest parks, but in principle it could happen. • There are plans to monitor threatened plants, which include a new shrub recently discovered in the Holdsworth area that has been known to suffer from browse damage. • It is not expected that toxins will be applied above the bush line as few pest mammals are expected there, compared to the benefits of protecting a larger area of forest. • Water quality in the streams is to be monitored before and after control takes place. It was agreed that while Rob McColl is away, Nicky Nelson will take his place at the steering group’s meetings. Action:Inform Nicky of meeting dates. (Colin) The Board: • thanked Rob McColl for his input on the steering group • noted that fees for this work, at Board member rates, were covered by the Conservancy. 6.0 PUBLIC FORUM Hugh Barr addressed the Board on behalf of the New Zealand Deerstalkers Association (NZDA) in relation to ‘Operation Kaka’. Hugh presented a paper from NZDA outlining their view of the project, noting that there are 9 hunting clubs in the Greater Wellington region. The NZDA sees Tararua Forest Park as a conservation park, thus the need to also facilitate recreation , which includes hunting. Hugh noted that he also comes from a scientific background. Hugh presented points on behalf of the NZDA: • There is not enough information from DOC in regard to the current Otaki bio-zone or native bird data. A report on this area would be relevant to the success of the proposed project. • 1080 is not ideal for rats as it doesn’t kill all of them, and there is still a food source available. • Kaka are already a feature in mainland islands, and are rarely seen in this area anyway, so why make more area for them. • Ruru are seen/heard in the area and are particularly susceptible to 1080 poisoning. • Features of the proposed area are quite rough, and much of it is infertile land with few birds, and only experienced trampers or hunters are able to get to much of it. • NZDA says if there are no deer in this 22,000ha, they won’t go there, but are interested to work with DOC in other areas of the park. Board members raised questions to clarify Hugh’s points: • Nicky Nelson asked whether there would be benefits for deer management by the NZDA on the parts which will be released from the 1080 control. Hugh agreed, saying that there would be benefits from NZDA and DOC making a Deer Plan for the Forest Park. Docdm-485525 4 • Colin Miskelly clarified that mainland islands are different in control methods, and this is not a mainland island proposal. • Rob McColl asked whether the NZDA supported any biodiversity management. Hugh said the NZDA does give biodiversity support. Some groups have stoat trap lines set up, as they want native birds too, but they also want deer, which is why they want a deer plan. • Asked if there was any way in which NZDA could support this proposal.

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