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Assessment of Ecological Effects for a Proposed Cleanfill Site at Nikau Palm Road, Paraparaumu

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Assessment of Ecological Effects for a Proposed Cleanfill Site at Nikau Palm Road, Paraparaumu 100 ASSESSMENT OF ECOLOGICAL EFFECTS FOR A PROPOSED CLEANFILL SITE AT NIKAU PALM ROAD, PARAPARAUMU NOVEMBER 2012 Report No. 2745 Prepared for: CUTRISS CONSULTANTS LTD P.O. BOX 386 PARAPARAUMU 5254 WILDLAND CONSULTANTS LTD, 7A SUNLIGHT GROVE, PORIRUA Ph 04 237 7341, Fax 04 237 7496 99 SALA STREET, P.O. BOX 7137, TE NGAE, ROTORUA Ph 07-343-9017, Fax 07-343-9018, email [email protected], www.wildlands.co.nz CONTENTS 1. INTRODUCTION 1 2. METHODS 1 3. SITE DESCRIPTION 1 4. VEGETATION 3 4.1 Overview 3 4.2 Indigenous shrubland 4 4.3 Wetland 4 4.4 Pasture grassland 4 4.5 Vegetation summary 4 5. FLORA 4 6. FAUNA 5 6.1 Fish 5 6.2 Birds 7 NOT THREATENED 7 6.3 Lizards 7 7. ECOLOGICAL SIGNIFICANCE 8 8. POTENTIAL CONSTRUCTION AND OPERATIONAL EFFECTS 9 8.1 Potential effects 9 9. MITIGATION OPTIONS 9 10. CONCLUSIONS 10 REFERENCES 10 APPENDIX ONE Site Photographs 12 1119 © 2012 Contract Report No. 27451 PROJECT TEAM Frances Forsyth - Field work, report author. Matt Todd - Field work, report author Reviewed and approved for release by: _______________________ W.B. Shaw Director Wildland Consultants Wildland Consultants Ltd 2012 This report has been produced by Wildland Consultants Ltd for Cuttriss Consultants Ltd. All copyright in this report is the property of Wildland Consultants Ltd and any unauthorised publication, reproduction, or adaptation of this report is a breach of that copyright. 2219 © 2012 Contract Report No. 27452 1. INTRODUCTION Cuttriss Consultants Ltd are acting for Higgins Aggregates Ltd and Goodman Contractors Ltd, to manage applications to Kāpiti Coast District Council (KCDC) and Greater Wellington Regional Council (GWRC) for resource consents to create a new clean-fill site between Paraparaumu Quarry and Nikau Palm Road, at Paraparaumu. Wildlands Consultants was commissioned to carry out an assessment of ecological effects at the site. The proposed clean-fill site would cover an area of approximately 3.5 ha in a valley south of Nikau Palm Road and east of the Paraparaumu Quarry. The land is currently in pasture with very small pockets of indigenous regrowth and a tributary of Mazengarb Drain flows along the valley floor. The valley is approximately 80 m deep and it is proposed that the finished fill area would be about 100 × 450 m and about 60 m deep. This report addresses the following: Vegetation and habitats present at the site; Relative ecological significance of any indigenous vegetation; Effects of the proposed works (including earthworks construction effects) on terrestrial and aquatic wildlife; Potential effects on the waterway and wetland. 2. METHODS The proposed clean-fill site was visited on 17 July and again on 10-11 August 2011. During these visits vegetation and habitats were described, and the general abundance of all vascular plant species observed was recorded. All bird species observed during the assessment were also recorded and a fish survey was undertaken. A further site visit was undertaken on 29 October 2012 to undertake a survey for brown mudfish (Neochana apoda) using dip netting and spotlighting as described in Ling et al. (2009). 3. SITE DESCRIPTION The proposed clean-fill site is located in a fault-defined valley (Ohariu Fault) adjacent to Nikau Palm Road, Paraparaumu, and lies on the boundary of the Tararua and Foxton Ecological Districts. The valley runs roughly north-south, is steep-sided, and the predominant vegetation cover is exotic pasture. Refer to Figures 1 and 2 and also Appendix 1. 1119 © 2012 1 Contract Report No. 27451 Figure 1: Proposed clean-fill site showing the access route through the pine plantation, existing contours, and the transmission lines. The proposed extent of fill is shown by the red line. The valley shows some evidence of erosion, with several small landslide scars of varying ages. Bedrock is visible in a number of places, scattered throughout the site. At the time of the 2011 site visits a dozen or more large seeps were contributing water to the first order stream present in the valley floor. This stream is a tributary of the Mazengarb Drain which is monitored by Greater Wellington for flood flows and Kapiti Coast District Council for water quality, and has been identified in the Regional Freshwater Plan as an aquatic ecosystem in need of enhancement. Downstream from the site the Mazengarb Drain is the receiving environment for a municipal wastewater discharge from an estimated serviced population of 30,000 people. 2219 © 2012 2 Contract Report No. 27452 In October 2012 the seep and wetland areas were much drier with water only in tiny pools where cattle had trampled. This was despite rainfall on the day previous to the survey. Figure 2: Proposed clean-fill site and stream to an old sediment retention pond on Nikau Palm Road. Below the clean-fill site the stream flows through pines and blackberry to an old sediment retention pond near the bottom of Nikau Palm Road (Figure 2 and photographs in Appendix 1). There are a number of ephemeral tributaries to this stream on steep slopes within the pine forest. All of these were surveyed in October 2012 but none had flowing water. 4. VEGETATION 4.1 Overview Vegetation at the site is predominantly pasture but small isolated pockets of indigenous shrubland (commonly Coprosma rhamnoides and tauhinu (Ozothamnus leptophyllus)) are present, particularly in valley folds. A narrow, degraded wetland occupies the bottom of the valley, dominated by marsh clubrush (Isolepis prolifera) and pukio (Carex secta). 3319 © 2012 3 Contract Report No. 27453 Adjacent land to the west has a cover of plantation pines (Pinus radiata) interspersed with regenerating manuka scrub (Leptospermum scoparium), otherwise the surrounding land is also pasture. 4.2 Indigenous shrubland Small pockets of indigenous shrubs, ranging from single plants to patches of 30 × 15 m (450 m2), were present throughout the site, but particularly in the folds of the valley slopes. Tauhinu is most common on the eastern slopes, while Coprosma rhamnoides is the major species on the western side of the valley. Other species associated with these pockets of shrubs include manuka, mahoe (Melicytus ramiflorus), hangehange (Geniostoma ligustrifolium), and various ground ferns (e.g. kiwikiwi (Blechnum fluviatile), swamp umbrella fern (Gleichenia microphylla), and thousand-leaved fern (Hypolepis millefolium)). Single, large specimens of kamahi (Weinmannia racemosa), wheki (Dicksonia squarrosa), and mamaku (Cyathea medularis) were noted. All palatable plant species had been browsed heavily by cattle. The pest plants gorse (Ulex europaeus) and blackberry (Rubus fruiticosus) were also present. 4.3 Wetland This small site (0.5 ha) comprises a narrow strip (300 m × 20 m maximum) in the valley floor. Thick swathes of marsh clubrush, with scattered tussocks of pukio and patches of wi (Juncus edgariae and J. pallidus), are the main species in the swamp in the valley floor. Giant umbrella sedge (Cyperus ustulatus) was also noted. The exotics tall fescue (Schedonorus arundinaceus) and creeping buttercup (Ranunculus repens) are common along the wetland margins. 4.4 Pasture grassland The remainder of the site is covered with rough pasture, dominated by tall fescue and cocksfoot (Dactylis glomerata), although a variety of other common pasture grasses (e.g. browntop (Agrostis capillaris), sweet vernal (Anthoxanthum odoratum), and Yorkshire fog (Holcus lanatus)) are also present. Perennial herbs noted include white clover (Trifolium repens), foxglove (Digitalis purpurea), selfheal (Prunella vulgaris), and pennyroyal (Mentha pulegium). 4.5 Vegetation summary Degraded pasture is the main vegetation cover. Three small patches of indigenous vegetation at the site each cover an area more than 100 m 2; one of these contains a tree (kamahi) greater than 4 m tall. A small degraded swampy area is present on the valley floor. 5. FLORA 4419 © 2012 4 Contract Report No. 27454 Vascular plants recorded at the site are all common species, typical of the vegetation and habitat types present. No nationally threatened or uncommon plant species (as per de Lange et al. 2009) were observed at the site. Two exotic species - gorse and blackberry - present in the site are listed in the Regional Pest Management Plan (RPMS) (Greater Wellington 2009) as site-led management species for boundary control purposes. 6. FAUNA 6.1 Fish There are no records in the NIWA Freshwater Fish Database of any indigenous fish species at the site or in the Mazengarb Drain. There is a record for brown mudfish in an adjacent part of the Waikanae River catchment, several kilometres from the clean- fill site (Figure 3). Habitat in the wetland on the proposed clean-fill site may be suitable for mudfish, and there is habitat in the stream and pond suitable for banded kokopu (Galaxias fasciatus) and shortfin eel (Anguilla australis). Banded kokopu have been seen in the stream below the site by Department of Conservation staff (Richard Gill pers comm. 30/05/2012). Brown mudfish are not often found with other fish species and are considered poor competitors (Petrove 2009). Historical reports and habitat analysis (Petrove 2009, O’Brien and Dunn 2007) suggest that brown mudfish tend to occupy hollows, ponds, pools, puddles and drains but rarely creeks. Forest puddles with permanent water have been found to contain the highest fish densities. This suggests that they are poor swimmers and unlikely to be found in a reach of stream with a moderate gradient and a steady water flow, for example in the pine forest reach below the wetland. 5519 © 2012 5 Contract Report No. 27455 Figure 3: The route of the Mazengarb Drain from the clean-fill site to the Waikanae River and the nearest record of mudfish (NZFFD). Fish surveys The wetland within the proposed clean-fill site and the stream and pond below the site were surveyed for fish on two occasions, 10 and 11 August 2011 and 29 October 2012.
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