CMS CONSERVATION MANAGEMENT STRATEGY Otago 2016, Volume 1 CMS CONSERVATION MANAGEMENT STRATEGY Otago 2016, Volume 1 Cover image: Celmisia haastii on the upper Wye valley near Queenstown with the Tāpuae-o-Uenuku/Hector Mountains in the background. Photo: John Barkla September 2016, New Zealand Department of Conservation ISBN 978-0-478-15088-9 (print) ISBN 978-0-478-15089-6 (online) Crown copyright © 2016 This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence. In essence, you are free to copy, distribute and adapt the work, as long as you attribute the work to the Crown and abide by the other licence terms. To view a copy of this licence, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/. Please note that no departmental or governmental emblem, logo or Coat of Arms may be used in any way which infringes any provision of the Flags, Emblems, and Names Protection Act 1981. Attribution to the Crown should be in written form and not by reproduction of any such emblem, logo or Coat of Arms. Use the wording ‘Department of Conservation’ in your attribution, not the Department of Conservation logo. This publication is produced using paper sourced from well-managed, renewable and legally logged forests. Contents Foreword 7 Introduction 8 Purpose of conservation management strategies 8 Treaty partnership with Ngāi Tahu 9 CMS structure 11 Interpretation 11 CMS term 12 Relationship with other Department of Conservation strategic documents and tools 12 Relationships with other planning processes 14 The Department’s legislative tools 14 Treaty of Waitangi and Ngāi Tahu Settlement Obligations 15 International obligations 16 Part One 17 1.1 The Department in Otago 17 1.2 Vision for Otago—2066 17 1.3 Distinctive features, values and issues of Otago 19 1.4 Treaty partnership with Ngāi Tahu 25 1.5 Otago by 2026 32 Part Two—Places 45 2.1 Mount Aspiring National Park/Tititea Place 46 2.2 Te Papanui, Oteake and Hāwea Conservation Parks Place 48 2.3 Western Lakes and Mountains/Ngā Puna Wai Karikari a Rākaihautū Place 57 2.4 Central Otago Uplands Place 74 2.5 Old Man Range/Kopuwai, Old Woman Range, and Garvie Mountains Place 81 2.6 Central Otago Drylands/Manuherikia Place 86 2.7 Eastern Otago and Lowlands/Maukaatua Place 93 2.8 Catlins/Te Ākau Tai Toka Place 101 2.9 Marine/Te Tai o Arai te Uru Place 107 2.10 Freshwater/Wai Māori Place 113 Part Three—Specific policy requirements for Otago 121 3.1 General 121 3.2 Vehicles 124 3.3 Mountain bikes (non-motorised) 126 3.4 Electric power-assisted pedal cycles 127 3.5 Other forms of transport 128 3.6 Aircraft 129 3.7 Animals 135 3.8 Dogs 135 3.9 Horses and pack animals 137 3.10 Structures and utilities 138 3.11 Private accommodation and related facilities 139 3.12 Marine mammal viewing 142 3.13 Commercial eeling 143 3.14 Sports fish and game bird hunting 143 3.15 Grazing and farming 144 3.16 Mining 145 3.17 Sand and shingle extraction 145 3.18 Commercial filming and photography 146 3.19 Collection of material 147 3.20 Wild animals 148 3.21 Game animals (see also wild animals) 151 3.22 Sporting and other competitive events 152 3.23 Recreation activities using fixed anchors 153 3.24 Fire management 154 3.25 Ski fields 154 Part Four—Implementation monitoring and reporting, and review 157 Glossary 158 Appendices 181 Appendix 1: 181 Work or activities of the Department of Conservation that may meet the requirements of section 4(3) of the Resource Management Act 1991 for exemptions from land use consents in Otago Appendix 2: 191 Ecosystem and habitat types within Otago Appendix 3: 209 Islands administered by the Department of Conservation in Otago Appendix 4: 211 Priority ecosystem units on public conservation lands and waters in Otago identified by the Department through natural heritage prioritisation processes Appendix 5: 216 Threatened and at-risk indigenous flora and fauna present in Otago Appendix 6: 229 Threats or pests and wild animals present in Otago Appendix 7: 249 Nationally iconic species in Otago Appendix 8: 250 Marine habitats and ecosystems in Otago Appendix 9: 255 Significant geological features, landforms and landscapes in Otago Appendix 10: 260 Actively conserved historic places on public conservation lands and waters, or managed by the Department, in Otago Appendix 11: 264 Icon and Gateway destinations in Otago Appendix 12: 265 Prescriptions for the management of visitor management zones Appendix 13: 268 Ngāi Tahu Claims Settlement Act provisions relating to Otago Appendix 14: 292 Statement of outstanding universal value for Te Wāhipounamu—South West New Zealand World Heritage Area Appendix 15: 300 Publicly available huts on public conservation lands and/or managed by the Department within Otago. Index 297 Foreword Many of Otago’s most significant and highly visited natural and historic places are located on public conservation land, providing valuable contributions to New Zealand’s international identity, reputation and economy. This Otago Conservation Management Strategy (CMS) integrates national and local conservation priorities and identifies outcomes for places that are special to Ngāi Tahu and the community. It builds on the wisdom, skills, knowledge and experience we have collectively gained over the past decade and sets out our aspirations for the next 10 years and beyond. It reaffirms the Department of Conservation’s desire to work alongside others, including Ngāi Tahu, other government agencies, individuals, business and the community to significantly increase our conservation effort in Otago. This CMS has been prepared through a lengthy public process and is the result of input from Ngāi Tahu, the Otago Conservation Board and many in the community. Their input, and enthusiasm and support for conservation, are acknowledged and have helped direct the future of conservation in Otago over the next 10 years and beyond. This CMS became operative on 1 September 2016. Dr Warren Parker Chair, New Zealand Conservation Authority—Te Pou Atawhai Taiao O Aotearoa Pat Garden Chairperson, Otago Conservation Board Allan Munn Director Operations Southern South Island Kaihautū Matarautaki, Department of Conservation Andy Roberts Director Operations Eastern South Island, Kaihautū Matarautaki, Department of Conservation Otago Conservation Management Strategy 2016 7 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, and to establish objectives for the integrated management of natural and historic resources, including species managed by 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, General Policy is next and below that are the CMS and conservation management plans and other management plans. In the Otago region there is one recent1 operative conservation management plan for Taiaroa Head Nature Reserve.2 There is one operative national park management plan within the area of this CMS, prepared under the National Parks Act 1980, for Mount Aspiring 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 that it cannot be contrary to it. The lower in order a planning document is, the greater the level of detail as to management intentions. 1 Other conservation management plans dating from prior to the Department of Conservation may still exist. The intention is that these will be revoked subsequent to this strategy’s approval. 2 Part of the Pukekura Reserves Management Plan (2012) jointly developed by the Department, Dunedin City Council, Te Rūnanga o Ōtākou and the Korako Karetai Trust. 8 Otago Conservation Management Strategy 2016 The general policies relevant to this CMS are the: Conservation General Policy 2005, which applies to all conservation lands, waters and resources managed by the Department under the following Acts: the Conservation Act 1987, the Wildlife Act 1953, the Marine Reserves Act 1971, the Reserves Act 1977, the Wild Animal Control Act 1977 and the Marine Mammals Protection Act 1978 General Policy for National Parks 2005, which sets expectations and takes priority for national park management planning. Other legislation for which the Minister of Conservation has a role or that is relevant to this CMS includes: the Electricity Act 1992, the Freedom Camping Act 2011, the Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga Act 2014, the Protected Objects Act 1975, the State-Owned Enterprises Act 1986, the Crown Minerals Act 1991, the Walking Access Act 2008, the Game Animal Council Act 2013, the Crown Pastoral Land Act 1998 and the Ngāi Tahu Claims Settlement Act 1998. Each draft CMS is prepared with public participation according to the process set out in the Conservation Act 1987. Preparation of this CMS has involved: a) Consultation with an extensive list of agencies, concessionaires, commercial interest groups, and recreation, conservation and other community groups. Many were met through the Department’s ongoing community liaison processes, and others invited the Department to strategy meetings.