Fiordland National Park Management Plan JUNE 2007 Fiordland National Park Management Plan JUNE 2007 Southland Conservancy Conservation Management Planning Series Published by Department of Conservation PO Box 743 Invercargill New Zealand © Copyright New Zealand Department of Conservation ISBN 978-0-478-14278-5 (hardcopy) ISBN 978-0-478-14279-2 (web PDF) ISBN 978-0-478-14280-8 (CD PDF) TAUPARA MÖ ATAWHENUA Tü wätea te Waka o Aoraki Tü te ngahere a Täne Ngä wai keri a Tü Te Rakiwhänoa Rere mai rere atu ngä wai a Tangaroa Honoa wai o maunga Ki te Moana a Tawhaki Papaki tü Ki te Moana Täpokapoka a Tawaki Ka tü te mana Te ihi Te wehi Te tapu O Käi Tahu, Käti Mamoe, Waitaha Whano ! Whano ! Haramai te toki Haumi e, Hui e Täiki e ! The waka of Aoraki lay barren The Täne created the forests Tü Te Rakiwhänoa sculpted the fiords allowing the sea to flow in and out and mix with the rivers that flow from the mountains to the seas of the west the waves of which clash with those of the great Southern Ocean The prestige endures The strength endures The awesomeness endures The sacredness endures Of Käi Tahu, Käti Mamoe, Waitaha It’s alive ! It’s alive ! Bring on the toki Gather Bind All is set 3 4 HOW TO USE THIS PLAN It is anticipated that this plan will have two main uses. Firstly, as an information resource and secondly, as a guide for Fiordland National Park managers, commercial operators and the public when considering the future uses of Fiordland National Park. If you want background information about Fiordland National Park and the way it is managed you should refer to Part One (Introduction). It outlines the legal context for managing Fiordland National Park. Part Two outlines matters associated with the Treaty of Waitangi and should always be referred to regardless of your purpose for reading the plan. Part Three provides information and direction on the Te Wähipounamu – South West New Zealand World Heritage area status defined by UNESCO. Part Four deals with biodiversity, landscapes and historical management. You will find a detailed outline of the conservation values of the park and specific directions relating to issues such as species and island management and pest control. It also includes directions for historic resource conservation. Part Five provides the direction for visitor management. It includes an audit of what is happening in Fiordland National Park at present and an outline of future trends. It discusses the impacts of various recreational and tourism activities and, most importantly, provides a framework for the future recreation management of Fiordland National Park using defined visitor settings. It also includes matters relating to how the Department of Conservation intends to manage its tracks, huts, campsites, and other facilities and provides direction on how concessions will be addressed. Part Six addresses the non-recreational use of Fiordland National Park, such as telecommunications, mining, grazing and private huts. If you want information on how a particular activity will be managed in the future you should refer to the contents pages and check for references in the plan in each of the following ways: 1. Look for the type of activity in Parts Four, Five and Six and read section(s) of the plan that relate to that activity. 2.If the activity is a recreational or tourism activity, refer to Map 7, determine the appropriate visitor setting and read the relevant provisions from section 5.3 onwards. If, for example, you were interested in guiding tourists to visit historical sites in Dusky Sound, then using the above steps would point to the following relevant plan sections. 1. Section 4.12 – Historical and Cultural Heritage Management 2. Part Two 3. Section 5.3.6 – Remote Visitor Setting 4. Section 5.6 – Boating and Facilities 5. Section 5.4 – Concessions 6. Section 4.8 – Island Management 5 It is important to remember that this plan provides for the integrated management of Fiordland National Park so for any one activity different sections of the plan will be relevant. Objectives and implementations detailing how the Department of Conservation will manage Fiordland National Park are contained, as relevant, from Part Two of this management plan onwards. 6 CONTENTS Taupara Mö Atawhenua 3 How to Use This Plan 5 Preface 13 PART ONE: INTRODUCTION 15 1.1 Preamble 15 1.1.1 Administration 15 1.1.2 Physical Characteristics 17 1.2 History 19 1.2.1 Mäori Tradition and History 19 1.2.2 European Exploration and Industry 20 1.2.3 Recent History, Use and Management of Fiordland National Park 22 1.3 Legislative Context 24 1.3.1 National Parks Act 1980 and Park Bylaws 24 1.3.2 Conservation Act 1987 25 1.3.3 Wildlife Act 1953 26 1.3.4 Wild Animal Control Act 1977 26 1.3.5 Resource Management Act 1991 (RMA) 26 1.3.6 Deed of Settlement between the Crown and Ngäi Tahu 1997 and Ngäi Tahu Claims Settlement Act 1998 27 1.3.7 Te Rünanga o Ngäi Tahu Act 1996 27 1.3.8 Ngäi Tahu (Pounamu Vesting) Act 1997 27 1.3.9 The Fiordland (Te Moana o Atawhenua) Marine Management Act 2005 28 1.3.10 Manapöuri-Te Anau Development Act 1963 28 1.4 Planning Context 29 1.4.1 General Policy for National Parks 2005 29 1.4.2 Conservation Management Strategy (CMS) for Mainland Southland/West Otago (MS/WO) 29 1.4.3 Fiordland National Park Management Plan 30 1.4.4 Reviews of a National Park Management Plan 31 1.4.5 Other Legislation and Planning Documents 31 PART TWO: TREATY OF WAITANGI RELATIONSHIPS 33 2.1 Giving Effect to the Principles of the Treaty of Waitangi 33 2.1.1 Kaitiakitanga 33 2.2 Responsibilities Under the Ngäi Tahu Claims Settlement Act 1998 35 2.2.1 Töpuni 35 2.2.2 Deed of Recognition 35 2.2.3 Place Name Changes 36 2.2.4 Taonga Species Management 36 2.2.5 Department of Conservation and Ngäi Tahu Protocols 37 2.3 Giving Effect to the Ngäi Tahu (Pounamu Vesting) Act 1997 38 7 PART THREE: TE WÄHIPOUNAMU – SOUTH WEST NEW ZEALAND WORLD HERITAGE AREA 39 3.1 Te Wähipounamu – South West New Zealand World Heritage Area 39 PART FOUR: BIODIVERSITY, LANDSCAPES AND HISTORICAL MANAGEMENT 43 4.1 Planning Rationale 43 4.2 Assessment Of Values and Places 44 4.2.1 Landform 44 4.2.2 Vegetation 46 4.2.3 Indigenous Fauna 47 4.2.4 Historical Sites, Heritage and the Impacts of Humans 51 4.3 Preservation of Indigenous Species and Habitats 55 4.4 Biosecurity 58 4.5 Introduced Animals 59 4.6 Introduced Plants 65 4.7 Water and Fish 68 4.8 Island Management 71 4.9 Marine Mammals 81 4.10 Ecosystem Management, Survey and Monitoring 82 4.11 Facilities and Access for Ecosystem Management 85 4.12 Historical and Cultural Heritage Management 86 4.12.1 Threats to Historical Places 86 4.12.2 Present Protection, Management Processes, and Prioritisation of Historic Resources 87 4.12.3 Further recognition of historical values 88 4.13 Additions of Areas to Fiordland National Park 93 PART FIVE: VISITOR MANAGEMENT 97 5.1 Planning Rationale 97 5.2 Visitor Audit 100 5.2.1 Fiordland National Park Visitor and Tourism Trends 100 5.2.2 Access 104 5.2.3 Facilities 106 5.2.4 Visitor Impacts 110 5.3 Visitor Settings 111 5.3.1 Visitors to Fiordland National Park (An inventory of existing use) 111 5.3.2 Recreation Opportunities 113 5.3.3 Visitor Settings (A methodology for recreation management in Fiordland National Park) 114 5.3.4 Takahë Specially Protected Area (Murchison Mountains) 116 5.3.5 Wilderness Visitor Setting 120 5.3.6 Remote Visitor Setting 124 5.3.6.1 Darran Remote Setting 125 5.3.6.2 Northern Remote Setting 126 5.3.6.3 Western Remote Setting 127 8 5.3.6.4 Doubtful Sound Remote Setting 128 5.3.6.5 Southern Remote Setting 130 5.3.6.6 Eastern Remote Setting 132 5.3.6.7 Southern Sounds Historical Sites 132 5.3.7 Backcountry Visitor Setting 136 5.3.7.1 Northern Backcountry Setting 137 5.3.7.2 Manapöuri Backcountry Setting 138 5.3.7.3 Southern Backcountry Setting 139 5.3.8 High Use Track Corridors 141 5.3.8.1 Milford Track 145 5.3.8.2 Routeburn Track 146 5.3.8.3 Kepler Track 148 5.3.8.4 Hollyford Track 149 5.3.8.5 Hump Ridge Track 151 5.3.9 Frontcountry Visitor Setting 152 5.3.9.1 Milford Sound / Piopiotahi 153 5.3.9.2 Milford Road 171 5.3.9.3 Deep Cove, Wilmot Pass and West Arm 177 5.3.9.4 Supply Bay Road and Supply Bay 189 5.3.9.5 Te Anau Lakefront 191 5.3.9.6 Te Anau Downs 194 5.4 Concessions 197 5.5 Aircraft Access 201 5.5.1 Aircraft Access to Fiordland (general) 201 5.5.2 Milford Aerodrome 225 5.6 Boating and Facilities 232 5.7 Roading, Vehicle Use and Other Transport Options (Other Than Aircraft and Boating) 243 5.8 Recreation Facilities 247 5.9 Interpretation and Education 264 5.10 Sports Fishing 266 5.11 Recreational Hunting of WildAnimals 267 5.12 Game Bird Hunting 269 5.13 Filming 270 5.14 Cave and Karst Systems 271 5.15 Rock-climbing and Abseiling 273 5.16 Visitor Monitoring 274 PART SIX: MANAGEMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCE USE 277 6.1 Planning Rationale 277 6.2 Audit of Current Resource Use 278 6.3 Mining and Gravel Extraction 279 6.4 Water Resources 280 6.5 Hydro Electric Power Development 281 6.6 Whitebait fishing 282 6.7 Eeling 283 9 6.8 Stock Grazing 283 6.9 Sphagnum Moss Harvesting 283 6.10 Ngäi Tahu Customary Use 284 6.11 Telecommunication Facilities 287 6.12 Private Huts 289 6.13 Military Use 290 6.14 Facilities Associated With the Commercial Fishing Industry 291 6.15 Access and Utilities 294 GLOSSARY 296 APPENDIX A: FIORDLAND NATIONAL PARK BYLAWS 307 APPENDIX B: TÜTOKO TÖPUNI 313 APPENDIX C: DEEDS OF RECOGNITION 316 Deed Of Recognition For Tütoko 316 Deed Of Recognition For Te Ana-Au (Lake Te Anau), Southland 322 Deed Of Recognition For Moturau (Lake Manapöuri), Southland 326 Deed Of Recognition For Lake Hauroko, Southland 330 APPENDIX D: TAONGA SPECIES OF FIORDLAND NATIONAL PARK 334 APPENDIX E: NGÄI TAHU CLAIMS SETTLEMENT PROTOCOLS 338 APPENDIX F: SUMMARY OF LIMITS ON RECREATION AND ON TOURISM CONCESSIONS IN FIORDLAND NATIONAL PARK 349 APPENDIX G: DEFINITIONS FOR VISITOR FACILITIES MANAGEMENT 353 INDEX 355 MAPS Map 1.