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Appendix 5 Round the Mountain Cycle Trail – Oreti Valley and Mararoa Valley Route Options – Terrestrial Ecology Report Simon Beale, MWH New Zealand Ltd – September 2014 Tech Time s Round the Mountain Cycle Trail Oreti Valley and Mararoa Valley Route Options Terrestrial Ecology Report Prepared for Southland District Council SEPTEMBER 2014 Southland District Council Round the Mountain Cycle Trail Terrestrial Ecology Report This document has been prepared for the benefit of Southland District Council. No liability is accepted by this company or any employee or sub-consultant of this company with respect to its use by any other person. This disclaimer shall apply notwithstanding that the report may be made available to other persons for an application for permission or approval to fulfil a legal requirement. QUALITY STATEMENT PROJECT MANAGER PROJECT TECHNICAL LEAD Claire Perkins Simon Beale PREPARED BY Simon Beale ………………………………............... 09/09/2014 CHECKED BY ………………………………............... 09/09/2014 Grant Kluyts REVIEWED BY Kristy Hall …………… …………. 09/09/2014 APPROVED FOR ISSUE BY Claire Perkins …………… 09/09/2014 QUEENSTOWN 134a Gorge Rd, Queenstown 9300 PO Box 649, Queenstown 9348 TEL +64 3 450 0890, FAX +64 3 450 0891 REVISION SCHEDULE Rev Signature or Typed Name (documentation on file). Date Description No Prepared by Checked by Reviewed by Approved by Status: Final September 2014 Project number: 80506020 Our ref: Terrestrial Ecology Report Southland District Council Round the Mountain Cycle Trail Terrestrial Ecology Report Southland District Council Round the Mountain Cycle Trail Oreti Valley and Mararoa Valley Route Options Terrestrial Ecology Report CONTENTS 1 Introduction .......................................................................................................................................... 1 1.1 Project Background.............................................................................................................. 1 1.2 Purpose and Scope of Report ............................................................................................. 3 1.3 Report Structure ................................................................................................................... 3 2 Methodology ........................................................................................................................................ 4 2.1 Desktop Investigations ......................................................................................................... 4 2.2 Site Investigations ................................................................................................................ 4 3 Ecological Setting ................................................................................................................................ 5 3.1 Climate ................................................................................................................................. 5 3.2 Geology ................................................................................................................................ 5 3.3 LENZ Classification.............................................................................................................. 5 3.4 Vegetation and Habitats ...................................................................................................... 6 4 Existing Vegetation Types ................................................................................................................... 7 4.1 Oreti Valley Route Option .................................................................................................... 7 4.1.1 Overview ............................................................................................................... 7 4.1.2 Section 1OV: Mt Nicholas Road to the Ashton Burn (Ashton Flat North) ............ 7 4.1.3 Section 2OV: Ashton Burn to Oreti River Crossing (Ashton Flat South) ............. 9 4.1.4 Section 3OV: Oreti River Crossing to Three Kings .............................................. 9 4.1.5 Three Kings to Consented Trail .......................................................................... 10 4.2 Mararoa Valley Route Option ............................................................................................ 11 4.2.1 Overview ............................................................................................................ 11 4.2.2 Section 1MV: Mavora Lakes Road to Mararoa River ......................................... 11 4.2.3 Section 2MV: Mararoa River Margins ................................................................ 12 4.3 Nationally Threatened Plants ............................................................................................. 12 5 Fauna ................................................................................................................................................ 13 5.1 Avifauna .............................................................................................................. 13 5.2 Herpetofauna ...................................................................................................... 13 5.3 Bat Fauna ........................................................................................................... 14 5.4 Introduced Mammals .......................................................................................... 14 6 Effects on Terrestrial Ecology ........................................................................................................... 15 6.1 Construction of Cycle Trail ................................................................................................. 15 6.1.1 Grassland ........................................................................................................... 15 Status: Final September 2014 Project number: 80506020 Our ref: Terrestrial Ecology Report Southland District Council Round the Mountain Cycle Trail Terrestrial Ecology Report 6.1.2 Copper Tussockland........................................................................................... 15 6.1.3 Shrubland ........................................................................................................... 15 6.2.4 Oreti Riverbed .................................................................................................... 16 6.2.5 Beech Forest ...................................................................................................... 16 6.2.6 Seepages and Streams ...................................................................................... 17 6.2 Gravel Borrow Areas, Dump Sites and Machinery Storage Sites ..................................... 17 6.3 Operation of Cycle Trail ..................................................................................................... 18 6.3.1 Vegetation Management .................................................................................... 18 6.3.2 Human Intrusion ................................................................................................. 18 7 Proposed Avoidance and Mitigation Measures ................................................................................. 19 7.1 Route Alignment ................................................................................................................ 19 7.2 Mitigating Effects of Construction ...................................................................................... 19 7.2.1 Site Definition ..................................................................................................... 19 7.2.2 Earthworks .......................................................................................................... 20 7.2.3 Vegetation Clearance ......................................................................................... 20 7.2.4 Vegetation Disposal............................................................................................ 20 7.2.5 Timing of Riverbed Works .................................................................................. 21 7.2.6 Restoration of Areas Affected by Earthworks .................................................... 21 7.2.7 Noxious Weed Control ....................................................................................... 21 7.2.8 Protection of Lizards ........................................................................................... 21 8 Monitoring .......................................................................................................................................... 22 9 Conclusions ....................................................................................................................................... 23 References .................................................................................................................................................. 24 Appendix 1: Plant Species List Appendix 2: Site Photographs LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1-1 : Indicative Trail Options and Sections ........................................................................................ 2 Figure 4-1 : Distribution of Broad Vegetation Types Routes and Study Sections ......................................... 8 Status: Final September 2014 Project number: 80506020 Our ref: Terrestrial Ecology Report Southland District Council Round the Mountain Cycle Trail Terrestrial Ecology Report 1 Introduction 1.1 Project Background The proposed Round the Mountain Cycle Trail connects Walter Peak Station to Kingston via Mossburn over a distance of approximately