Crown Pastoral-Tenure Review-Beaumont-Conservation
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Crown Pastoral Land Tenure Review Lease name : BEAUMONT STATION Lease number : PO 362 Conservation Resources Report - Part 1 As part of the process of Tenure Review, advice on significant inherent values within the pastoral lease is provided by Department of Conservation officials in the form of a Conservation Resources Report. This report is the result of outdoor survey and inspection. It is a key piece of information for the development of a preliminary consultation document. Note: Plans which form part of the Conservation Resources Report are published separately. These documents are all released under the Official information Act 1982. December 10 RELEASED UNDER THE OFFICIAL INFORMATION ACT DOC CONSERVATION RESOURCES REPORT ON TENURE REVIEW OF BEAUMONT PASTORAL LEASE (PO362) UNDER PART 2 OF THE CROWN PASTORAL LAND ACT 1998 DOCDM-640009 - Beaumont CRR 1 RELEASED UNDER THE OFFICIAL INFORMATION ACT DOCDM-640009 - Beaumont CRR 2 RELEASED UNDER THE OFFICIAL INFORMATION ACT TABLE OF CONTENTS PART 1: INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................................5 1.1 Background .............................................................................................................................................. 5 PART 2 INHERENT VALUES: DESCRIPTION OF CONSERVATION RESOURCES AND ASSESSMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE................................................................................................................. 7 2.1 Landscape................................................................................................................................................. 7 2.1.1 Significance of Landscape................................................................................................................. 15 2.2 Landforms, Geology & Soils.................................................................................................................. 16 2.2.2 Significance of Landforms, Geology and Soils ............................................................................ 18 2.3 Land Environments of New Zealand (LENZ)........................................................................................ 18 2.3.1 Significance of LENZ................................................................................................................... 20 2.4 Climate ................................................................................................................................................... 20 2.5 Vegetation .............................................................................................................................................. 21 2.5.1 Significance of Vegetation............................................................................................................ 24 2.5.2 Problem Plants.............................................................................................................................. 29 2.6 Fauna...................................................................................................................................................... 29 2.6.3 Herpetofauna................................................................................................................................. 33 2.6.4 Significance of Herpetofauna ....................................................................................................... 35 2.6.5 Avifauna ....................................................................................................................................... 36 2.6.6 Significance of Avifauna .............................................................................................................. 36 2.6.7 Aquatic Fauna............................................................................................................................... 37 2.6.8 Significance of Aquatic Fauna...................................................................................................... 40 2.6.9 Problem Animals .......................................................................................................................... 42 2.7 Historic................................................................................................................................................... 42 2.7.1 Significance of Historic Values .................................................................................................... 46 2.8 Public Recreation ................................................................................................................................... 48 2.8.1 Significance of Recreation............................................................................................................ 51 PART 3 OTHER RELEVANT MATTERS & PLANS................................................................................... 53 3.1 Consultation ........................................................................................................................................... 53 3.2 Regional Policy Statements & Plans ...................................................................................................... 53 3.3 District Plan............................................................................................................................................ 54 3.4 Conservation Management Strategy & Plans......................................................................................... 55 3.5 New Zealand Biodiversity Strategy........................................................................................................ 56 3.6 Protecting Our Places ............................................................................................................................. 56 3.7 Ecosystem Services................................................................................................................................57 3.7.1 Economic Benefits of Water from Beaumont Lease................................................................................ 61 PART 4: ATTACHMENTS............................................................................................................................... 65 4.1 Additional Information........................................................................................................................... 65 4.1.1 References..................................................................................................................................... 65 4.2 Appendices............................................................................................................................................. 71 4.3 Maps........................................................................................................................................................... 4.4 Photographs................................................................................................................................................ DOCDM-640009 - Beaumont CRR 3 RELEASED UNDER THE OFFICIAL INFORMATION ACT DOCDM-640009 - Beaumont CRR 4 RELEASED UNDER THE OFFICIAL INFORMATION ACT PART 1: INTRODUCTION 1.1 Background The lessees of Beaumont Pastoral Lease (referred to in this report as “the Lease”) have applied to the Commissioner of Crown Lands for a review of the property’s pastoral lease tenure. The property is leased by Beaumont Station Ltd. The Lease is located near Millers Flat in the Clutha River valley, 53 km south of Alexandra, Central Otago. It occupies approximately 21137 ha on the Lammerlaw Range. The property runs some 47 km from the Clutha River at Island Block on State Highway 8, north-eastwards back to Lake Onslow. The Taieri River forms the eastern boundary of the Lease. Access to the southwest of the property is provided by Beaumont Station Road. The Lease is run in conjunction with 6848 ha of adjoining freehold land near the Clutha River. Altitude ranges from 60 m at the Clutha River to 1210 m asl at Lammerlaw Top, located on the main Lammerlaw Range. The Lease lies within the Waipori Ecological District (ED) of the Lammerlaw Ecological Region (McEwen 1987). This district is characterized as an upland schist plateau reaching 1211 m asl. It experiences a cool and moist climate and contains tussocklands, numerous peat bogs, a few forest remnants and some shrublands (McEwen 1987). Three sites of significance (Recommended Areas for Protection; hereafter RAPs) were identified under the Protected Natural Area Programme (PNAP) (Carter 1994; see Appendix 1 and Map 4.2.1). RAP 1: Fortification Creek contains red tussocklands on the alluvial valley floor of the upland plateau basins; RAP 2: Teviot Swamp and McKays Stream is notable for its alpine grasslands, wetland and snowbank vegetation; and RAP 8: Taieri Rapids has tall tussocklands, shrublands, waterfalls and rapids on steep rocky slopes above the Taieri River (Carter 1994). Carter (1994) did not survey the Clutha faces, stating that the environmental characteristics of this locality were more akin to those exhibited in the adjacent Tapanui ED. No PNA survey has been conducted for Tapanui ED. Vegetation cover includes extensive tall tussocklands, red tussock wetlands, short tussocklands, bogs, rocklands, beech forest, native shrublands and exotic pasture. No conservation lands or unoccupied Crown Land is present within the Lease. However, the 21,000 ha Te Papanui Conservation Park adjoins the Lease to the east. This protected area covers almost all of the Lammermoor