CMS CONSERVATION MANAGEMENT STRATEGY Canterbury 20145–20245, Volume 1 REVISED DRAFT June November 20132014 Cover: Waimakariri River looking toward Shaler Range and Southern Alps/Kā Tiritiri o Te Moana Photo: Graeme Kates © Copyright June 2013, New Zealand Department of Conservation ISSN 1171-5391-10 This publication is produced using paper sourced from well-managed, renewable and legally logged forests. 1 Contents Foreword 445 Introduction 6 Purpose of conservation management strategies 6 CMS structure 78 Interpretation 8 CMS term 910 Relationship with other Department of Conservation strategic documents and tools 910 Relationship with other planning processes 1011 Legislative tools 1112 International obligations 1213 Part One 1314 1.1 The Department in Canterbury 1314 1.2 Vision for Canterbury—20642065 1314 1.3 Distinctive features, values and issues of Canterbury 1516 1.4 Treaty of Waitangi responsibilitiespartnership with Ngai Tahu 1820 1.5 Canterbury by 20242025 2528 Part Two—Places 39 2.1 National Parks Place 40 2.2 Braided Rivers / Ki Uta Ki Tai Place 43 2.3 Banks Peninsula (Horomaka)/ Te Pataka o Rakaihautu Place 51 2.4 Coastal Land and Marine / Ki Tai Place 63 2.5 Southern Conservation Parks Place 77 2.6 Northern High-Country Place 92 2.7 High-Country Basins Place 105 2.8 Foothill Forests Place 118 2.9 Christchurch City Place 124 Part Three—Specific policy requirements for Canterbury 129 General 129 Authorisations (general) 130 Vehicles 131 Motorised vehicles 132 Mountain bikes (non-motorised) 134 Electric power-assisted pedal cycles 135 Other means of transport 136 Canterbury Conservation Management Stategy 20142015–20242025 2 Watercraft 136 Aircraft 137 Animals 142 Dogs 142 Horses and pack animals 143 Structures and utilities 144 Private accommmodation and related facilities 145 Marine mammal viewing 148 Commercial eeling 148 Sports fish and game bird hunting 149 Grazing and farming 150 Mining 150 Sand and shingle extraction 151 Commercial filming and photography 152 Collection of materials 153 Wild animals 154 Game animals 156 Sporting and other competitive events 157 Recreation activities using fixed anchors 158 Fire management 160 Ski fields 161 Gemstone fossicking 161 Milestones 164 Part Four—Implementation, monitoring, reporting and review 165 Glossary 166 Appendices Appendix 1: 188 Work or activities of the Department of Conservation that may meet the requirements of section Section 4(3) of the Resource Management Act 1991 for exemptions from land use consents Appendix 2: 198 Important eEcosystems and habitats types within Canterbury Appendix 3: 223 Islands in Canterbury Appendix 4: 226 Priority ecosystem management sites units on public conservation lands and waters in Canterbury identified by the Department of Conservation through the nNatural hHeritage prioritising processesManagement System in February 2012 September 2013 Canterbury Conservation Management Stategy 20142015–20242025 3 Appendix 65: 265243 Threatened and at risk fFlora and fauna present in Canterbury Appendix 56: 281259 Threats or pPests and wild animals present in Canterbury Appendix 7: 302280 Nationally iIconic species in Canterbury Appendix 8: 303281 Marine habitats and ecosystems in Canterbury Appendix 9: 314292 Significant geological features, landforms and landscapes in Canterbury Appendix 10: 319297 Actively conserved historic places on public conservation landlands in Canterbury Appendix 11: 328306 Recreation destinations in Canterbury Appendix 12: 329307 Prescriptions for the management of visitor management zones Appendix 13: 333311 Prescriptions for the management of aircraft zones Appendix 134: 335313 Ngāi Tahu Claims Settlement Act provisions relating to Canterbury Appendix 15: 356 List of conservation units and ecosystems within the Foothill Forests Place Appendix 146: 356334 Statement of outstanding universal value for Te Wāhipounamu—South West New Zealand World Heritage Area Appendix 1415: 360338 List of conservation units and ecosystems within the Foothill Forests Place Canterbury Conservation Management Stategy 20142015–20242025 4 Foreword [To be re-written for NZCA sign-off] This draft Canterbury Conservation Management Strategy (CMS) sets out the Department’s proposed intentions for the integrated management of natural and historic resources within Canterbury for the next 10 years. I would like to thank past and present members of the Canterbury Aoraki Conservation Board and all those who provided feedback and attended hui and workshops as this document was developed. Since the first Canterbury CMS was approved in 2000, there have been many conservation achievements in Canterbury. These include the Arawai Kākāriki programme at Ō Tü Wharekai, community projects for ecosystem restoration at Otamahua/Quail Island and recreation along the Motukarara-Little River Rail Trail, improved knowledge about braided river ecology from research by Project River Recovery, historic site interpretation at Godley Head, and the creation of the Pōhatu Marine Reserve and six conservation parks. There have also been serious conservation challenges—major ones being too many threatened species, and the increase in intensive agricultural land use and effects on freshwater ecosystems, which is ongoing. The development of this CMS comes at a time of increasing concerns about the effects of climate change and ongoing threats to indigenous biodiversity. The Department has recognised that to halt the ongoing decline of New Zealand’s natural heritage, we need to significantly increase our conservation effort by working more with others—iwi , communities, businesses and individuals. For the first time, this CMS integrates national and local conservation priorities at particular places and identifies desired outcomes for places that are special to communities and Ngāi Tahu. It also sets out a framework to increase conservation efforts over the next decade, recognising that DOC cannot do it alone. Canterbury is where I was raised, and where I’ve been Conservator for over a decade. There are many things that make conservation in Canterbury special to me. You too will have your own cherished natural places and conservation priorities—so check this draft CMS to see if they are mentioned. People in Canterbury have experienced serious disruption from the earthquakes over the past two years. These disruptions have also affected the Department with the result that we have not been able to undertake the level of public consultation we would have liked to in preparing this draft strategy. This makes your input now even more important. I ask then that you read this document, that you meet with Department staff to discuss your interests, and that you make a submission to help us develop a robust and enduring conservation strategy for Canterbury. Mike Cuddihy Conservator Canterbury Canterbury Conservation Management Stategy 20142015–20242025 5 Introduction Purpose of conservation management strategies Conservation, as defined under section 2 of the Conservation Act 1987 (the Act), is the ‘preservation and protection of natural and historic resources for the purpose of maintaining their intrinsic values, providing for their appreciation and recreational enjoyment by the public, and safeguarding the options of future generations’. The functions of the Department of Conservation (the Department) are for the most part identified in section 6 of the Act and in other Acts listed in the First Schedule of the Act. The purpose of a conservation management strategy (CMS), as defined by section 17D of the Act, is to implement statements of general policy, policies (including the Conservation General Policy 2005) and to establish objectives for the integrated management of natural and historic resources, including species managed by the Department of Conservation (the Department), and for recreation, tourism and other conservation purposes. The Act creates a hierarchy of documents to guide the Department in its management. The Act is at the top, the General Policy is next and below that are the CMS and conservation management plans, and other management plans. In Canterbury there are 10 14 operative conservation management plans1 operative conservation management plans including the Te Waihora Joint Management Plan (2005)2 and Molesworth Management Plan (2013). There are two operative national park management plans prepared under the National Parks Act 1980: for Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park and Arthur’s Pass National Park. Statutory framework for the management of public conservation lands and waters Conservation Act 1987 National Parks Act 1980 General Policy General Policy Conservation management strategies National park management plans Conservation management plans A lower order planning document cannot derogate from a higher order one; meaning it cannot be contrary to it. The lower in order a planning document is, the greater the level of detail as to management intentions. The general policies relevant to this strategy CMS are the: 1 Except for the Te Waihora Joint and Molesworth Management Plans, these plans are all reserve and Crown land management plans from the 1970s toand 19980s, and are intended to be revoked or withdrawn subsequent to this strategy’s approval. 2 Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu and Department of Conservation. 2005: Te Waihora Joint Management Plan—Mahere Tukutahi o Te Waihora. Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu and Department of Conservation, Christchurch. NB While the New Zealand Geographic Board name is “Lake Ellesmere (Te Waihora)” the CMS uses the abbreviation