X May 2013 Rob Robson File ref: ESM 01 01 Manager 2013/01866 Minerals, Strategy, Planning and Promotion PAT:JHC New Zealand Petroleum and Minerals Dear Rob PROPOSED COMPETITIVE TENDER OFFER FOR METALLIC MINERALS EXPLORATION PERMITS – MANAWATU-WANGANUI Thank you for the opportunity to provide New Zealand Petroleum and Minerals with information regarding areas of particular sensitivity in the proposed tender area, within the Manawatu-Wanganui (Horizons) Region. Our analysis of the small part of the proposed area that lies within the Region has identified the reaches of river mapped in Proposed One Plan (POP)1 Schedule AB which are identified as having particular cultural, social, economic and ecological values. In addition to values common to all the reaches (which include industrial abstraction, Mauri, contact recreation and stock water), there are values identified as applying to particular reaches: specific water supplies, reaches valued for trout spawning or trout fishery, natural state2, and ‘Sites of Significance – Aquatic’ which are known habitat of specific native fish. These reaches are shown on the attached map labelled Figure 1. Note that more than one value can apply to any reach. Our analysis has also focused on the types of terrestrial and wetland habitat described in POP Schedule E and categorised as an ‘at-risk’ or ‘threatened’ indigenous habitat. We used the Leathwick habitat model (a GIS-based predictive model) to indicate where these remaining areas of native forest and wetland habitats are likely to be located within the proposed exploration area. The analysis has identified five threatened or at-risk Schedule E habitat types, covering approximately 33263 hectares, in the proposed tender area. These are shown on the attached map labelled Figure 2. The following table provides more detail about these five habitat types. Indigenous habitat type Threat category Area (ha) 1. Rimu-tawa / kamahi forest Threatened 12129.7 2. Podocarp-broadleaf fuchsia forest Threatened 11 3. Wetlands Threatened 39 4. Hall’s totara / broadleaf forest At-risk 4896 5. Podocarp / kamahi forest At-risk 16187 Total = 33262.7 ha Horizons acknowledges that the mapping of habitat types is indicative only and is intended for use at a district or regional scale. As it may not be an exact interpretation 1 The combined Regional Policy Statement and Regional Plans for the Manawatu-Wanganui Region. Note that while the POP is not yet operative, all appeals on the relevant provisions have now been resolved. 2 Defined in POP Schedule AB as “all sections of rivers and their beds that have sources in, and flow within, the Public Conservation Land… with the exception of those where damming or diversion have significantly affected the natural state of the water”. \\file\herman\E\SM\01\01\Epithermal Gold exploration tender 2013\MWRC DRAFT Letter to NZPAM re proposed competitive tender offer 20130501_with memo attached.docx of the vegetation actually present, it is our practice to offer to investigate any area where work potentially affecting an area of native forest or wetland is proposed. We note that a large part of the proposed tender area is managed by the Department of Conservation, specifically the Pureora Forest Park. A further area is subject to a Nga Whenua Rahui kawanata. These areas are shown with an overlay on the attached map and comprise a large proportion of the at-risk and threatened habitats listed above. It is our understanding that the land would be regulated by Horizons’ POP, as well as the relevant conservation legislation, where it is not exempted by section 4(3) of the Resource Management Act 1991. It is likely that many activities associated with mineral exploration in the proposed tender area within the Horizons region will either be subject to permitted activity conditions or require resource consent. For example: disturbance of the bed of a river with a Schedule AB Value of Natural State or Site of Significance – Aquatic, is a discretionary activity; permitted activities in the reach of a river with a value of trout fishery are subject to a more stringent condition relating to suspended sediment that applies on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays between 1 December and 28 February; any land disturbance or vegetation clearance, including drilling, constructing or altering a bore, in an at-risk habitat or threatened habitat, is a discretionary activity or non-complying activity respectively. Horizons would welcome inquiries from NZPAM or parties interested in undertaking exploration activities at a specific site regarding the rules that would be likely to apply to the proposal. As mentioned above, there are two maps attached which show information at a regional scale; also enclosed is a compact disc containing pdf versions of these maps which can be enlarged and examined more closely. If it would be helpful, Horizons can provide paper copies in A0 size. Finally, a copy of the analysis that supports the maps is attached. Thank you again for the opportunity to highlight the areas within our Region that we have identified as being sensitive to potential activities. Yours sincerely Bruce Gordon CHAIRMAN Encls Memorandum 2 MEMORANDUM DATE: 24 April 2013 TO: Penelope Tucker FROM: Manas Chakraborty SUBJECT: Identifying surface water (Schedule AB) and indigenous biodiversity (Schedule E) values within the proposed tender (New Zealand Epithermal Gold 2013) area for exploration of metallic minerals Hi Pen, I have done a spatial (GIS) analysis to identify the “areas of particular sensitivity” within the proposed New Zealand Epithermal Gold 2013 tender area in our region for exploration of metallic minerals. While doing this analysis, I have particularly emphasised on the values as identified in the Schedule AB (Surface Water Values including ecological as well as socio- economic) and Schedule E (Indigenous Biological Diversity) of the Proposed One Plan as Amended by Decisions. The south-western part (approximately 7% of the tender area) of the proposed tender area, which falls within the Manawatu-Wanganui Region, covers about 3% of the whole region. SURFACE WATER VALUES (SCHEDULE AB) IN THE PROPOSED TENDER AREA The following Water Management Sub-zones or catchments within our region fall within the proposed tender area: Upper Ongarue (Zone code - Whai_2f; Water Management Zone - Cherry Grove) Lower Ongarue (Zone code - Whai_2g; Water Management Zone - Cherry Grove) Pungapunga (Zone code – Whai_2e; Water Management Zone – Cherry Grove) The following reach-specific surface water values have been identified in the Upper Ongarue catchment: Site of significance for aquatic biodiversity or SOS-A (whio or blue ducks recorded in the Maramataha River and its tributaries as well as in the Mangatukutuku Stream) Trout Spawning habitat (Waimiha Stream, Kahoho Stream, Ongarue River upstream of the Ongarue Stream Road, Okauaka Stream, Piropiro Stream, Maramataha River, Waione Stream, Waikoura Stream, Mangatukutuku Stream) Trout fishery (Waimiha Stream, Ongarue River – Regionally significant, Okauaka Stream, Maramataha River & its tributaries, Waione Stream, Waikoura Stream, Mangatukutuku Stream) Natural State (Tributaries of the Waimiha Stream, Ongarue River, Maramataha River and its tributaries, Waione Stream, and Mangatukutuku Stream and any other unnamed waterways that fall within the Public Conservation Land) Water Supply Take (Pureora; Source – Whareana Stream) The following reach-specific surface water values have been identified in the Lower Ongarue catchment: Trout spawning habitat (Mangakahu Stream, Taringamotu River and its tributaries) Trout fishery (Taringamotu River and its tributaries) Natural State (upstream tributaries of the Taringamotu River, which flow through the Public Conservation Land) The following reach-specific surface water values have been identified in the Pungapunga catchment: Site of significance for aquatic biodiversity or SOS-A (whio and the endangered migratory freshwater fish species koaro recorded in the upper reaches of the Pungapunga River and its tributaries before the confluence of the Tunawaharoa Stream) Trout spawning habitat (Pungapunga River and its tributaries) Trout fishery (Pungapunga River) Natural State (upstream tributaries of the Pungapunga River, which flow through the Public Conservation Land) Water Supply Take (Ngapuke School; Source – Pungapunga River and tributaries) Apart from the above mentioned reach-specific values, the above three catchments also have the following zone-wide values: . Life Supporting Capacity - UVA (Upland volcanic acidic) class in Upper Ongarue catchment and UVM (Upland volcanic mixed) class in Lower Ongarue and Pungapunga catchments . Aesthetics . Water abstraction for Irrigation . Industrial abstraction . Existing infrastructure . Mauri . Contact Recreation . Stock Water . Capacity to Assimilate Pollution A detailed list of the above mentioned surface water values can be found in the Table AB.1 of the Schedule AB in the following link: http://www.horizons.govt.nz/assets/one-plan-august- 2010/HRC_OP_Vol4_ScheduleAB.pdf The development of the Water Management Zones and their respective surface water values for the purpose of monitoring the water quality standards and habitats required for aquatic biodiversity on catchment basis can be found in the following officer’s report submitted during the One Plan Hearing process: http://www.horizons.govt.nz/assets/horizons/Images/One%20Plan%20Officers%20reports%20w ater%20hearing/Ms%20Maree%20Ellen%20Clark.pdf