Crown Pastoral Land Tenure Review Lease name : BALMORAL - TEKAPO Lease number : PT 021 Conservation Resources Report 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. The report attached is released under the Official Information Act 1982. July 13 RELEASED UNDER THE OFFICIAL INFORMATION ACT DOC CONSERVATION RESOURCES REPORT ON TENURE REVIEW OF BALMORAL PASTORAL LEASE PAP-12-04-021 UNDER PART 2 OF THE CROWN PASTORAL LAND ACT 1998 2013 UPDATED REPORT RELEASED UNDER THE OFFICIAL INFORMATION ACT TABLE OF CONTENTS PART 1 .................................................................................................................................................... 3 INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................................................ 3 1.1 Background.................................................................................................................................... 3 PART 2 .................................................................................................................................................... 4 INHERENT VALUES: DESCRIPTION OF CONSERVATION RESOURCES AND ASSESSMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE................................................................................................................................................... 4 2.1 Landscape...................................................................................................................................... 4 2.1.4 Significance of Landscape ........................................................................................................... 10 2.2 Landforms & Geology................................................................................................................. 11 2.3 Land Environments of New Zealand (LENZ) .............................................................................14 2.3.1 Significance of LENZ................................................................................................................... 15 2.4 Climate ........................................................................................................................................15 2.5 Vegetation.................................................................................................................................... 16 2.5.1 Significance of Vegetation............................................................................................................ 21 2.5.2 Problem Plants.............................................................................................................................. 22 2.6 Fauna ........................................................................................................................................... 22 2.6.1 Invertebrate Fauna ........................................................................................................................ 22 2.6.2 Significance of Invertebrates ........................................................................................................25 2.6.3 Herpetofauna................................................................................................................................. 26 2.6.4 Avifauna .......................................................................................................................................26 2.6.5 Significance of Avifauna .............................................................................................................. 28 2.6.6 Aquatic Fauna............................................................................................................................... 28 2.6.7 Significance of Aquatic Fauna...................................................................................................... 28 2.6.8. Problem Animals ..........................................................................................................................28 2.7 Ecological Sustainability and Carbon Storage............................................................................. 29 2.7.1 Significance of Sustainability and Ecosystem Services............................................................... 31 2.8 Historic ........................................................................................................................................ 32 2.8.1 Significance of Historic ................................................................................................................ 36 2.9 Public Recreation......................................................................................................................... 36 2.9.1 Physical Characteristics ................................................................................................................ 36 2.9.2 Legal Access................................................................................................................................. 37 2.9.3 Activities....................................................................................................................................... 37 PART 3 .................................................................................................................................................. 38 OTHER RELEVANT MATTERS & PLANS.................................................................................................. 38 3.1 Consultation................................................................................................................................. 38 3.2 District Plan................................................................................................................................. 39 3.3 Conservation Management Strategy & Plans ..............................................................................39 3.4 New Zealand Biodiversity Strategy............................................................................................. 40 3.5 Protecting Our Places ..................................................................................................................40 PART 4 .................................................................................................................................................. 42 ATTACHMENTS............................................................................................................................................... 42 4.1 Additional Information ................................................................................................................ 42 4.1.1 References..................................................................................................................................... 42 4.1.2 Abbreviations................................................................................................................................ 44 4.2 Maps ............................................................................................................................................ 45 4.3 Appendices: Appendix 1 Threatened and At Risk Plants recorded on Balmoral Appendix 2 Plant Species recorded Appendix 3 Bird species present on the Balmoral Appendix 4 Complete taxa list from Schnitzler’s 2002 invertebrate report Appendix 5 Significant lepidoptera taxa collected by Brian Patrick from properties neighbouring Balmoral pastoral lease (Patrick 1989; 1992) Appendix 6 List of invertebrate taxa collected from Irishman Creek Pastoral Lease, 2008. Appendix 7 Mackenzie District Plan Rules docDM-1167700 - Balmoral 2013 CRR 2 RELEASED UNDER THE OFFICIAL INFORMATION ACT PART 1 INTRODUCTION 1.1 Background Balmoral Pastoral Lease (Balmoral) consists of 6458 ha of land in the middle of the Mackenzie Basin between Lakes Pukaki and Tekapo (see map 4.2.1). The property is dominated by the Old Man Range, and moraines and outwash to the southeast, north and west of the range. Fork Stream forms the north-east boundary, while Braemar Road, a minor shingle service road, forms most of the north boundary. Balmoral adjoins the pastoral leases of Tasman Downs to the west and Irishman Creek to the south. In the north-west the land is designated for military training purposes. The Tekapo Military Camp is an enclave on the eastern side of Balmoral adjacent to the Tekapo-Twizel Road where it bisects the property. Balmoral lies predominantly in the Tekapo Ecological District, with a very small portion at the south-eastern end of the property in the Pukaki Ecological District. The Tekapo Ecological District is characterised by extensive moraines and lakes, with a humid to sub-humid climate of cold winters and warm summers. The Pukaki Ecological District is typically low topography, fluvio-glacial outwash and basin fill, a drier climate to the Tekapo district. Both ecological districts are in Mackenzie Ecological Region which was surveyed as part of the Protected Natural Areas Programme in 1982/83 (Espie et. al. 1984). Five Recommended Areas for Protection (RAPs) were identified on the property – Tekapo 9: Balmoral fescue and red tussock grassland, Tekapo 10: Old Man Range swampland, Tekapo 11: Tekapo Military Camp Tussock, Tekapo 12: Balmoral Relic Boulderfield and Tekapo 13: Forks Stream Swamp. This Conservation