DOC application form Version 3.3 Application Form for predator control in the Arthur Sinbad Cleddau Act Tiakina Nga Manu Battle for our Birds Programme 1 May 2019 – 30 April 2020 Name of applicant: s 9(2)(a) Company/organisation: Contract Wild AnimalInformation Control New Zealand Postal address: 27B Ramparts Road, RD1, Te Anau 9679 Phone number: (03) 249 7374 Email address [email protected] the under Released Prepared by: s 9(2)(a) Contract Wild Animal Control New Zealand DOC application form Version 3.3 CONTENTS 1. INTRODUCTION 2 Milford Sound Village – adjacent to the treatment area. 3 The Cleddau portion of the operation encompasses the areas on either side of State Highway 94 leading into Milford Sound Township from the Homer Tunnel and Cleddau headwaters in the south. 3 The operation extends beyond Milford Sound Township through the valley of the Bowen River to the north and also the Tutoko River valley. Act3 Immediately to the south of Milford Sound Township and the Cleddau River the operational area extends up to the 700m contour before following the valley floor adjacent to Highway 94. 3 The operation also works along the Donne River in the north east and up to the Adelaide Saddle. 3 • The Arthur Valley includes part of the Milford Track, a Great Walk track, with over 10,000 visitors per year. 4 • The Sinbad Gully is remote and gets very little public use. 4 • The Cleddau contains the only road access to Milford Sound, so is a high public use area. 4 • There is an airport situated at Milford Sound, which is used both commercially and privately.4 • Commercial fishing vessels moor at Deepwater basin. 4 • There is helicopter access to this operational area, with a commercial helicopter company operating out of Milford Sound. 4 • Tourists visiting the area by aircraft, bus, campervan or car canInformation undertake scenic flights or board a boat cruise at Freshwater Basin. Sea kayaking and diving are also popular. 4 Accessible Areas 4 • The operational area is comprised entirely of National Park. The public have access to the area under the National Parks Act (1980) and the Fiordland National Park Management Plan (2007). 4 • State Highway 94 from Te Anau to Milford Sound runs through the treatment area, but is excluded from any bait sowing. There are a number of public laybys situated along this stretch of road. The Milford Road (including 10m\ either side)Official is administered by the Southland District Council 4 • There are two historic bridges within the operational area that have adjacent lay-bys. These are popular tourist stops along the Milford Road. 5 • The Milford Track runs the lengththe of the Arthur Valley. This is a Great Walk, managed by the Department of Conservation. 5 Tracks and Walkways 5 • The Milford Foreshore Walk is used by visitors to the area. It is outside the treatment area (but inside the operational boundary). 5 • There is a lay-by and small walkway on the eastern side of the Homer Tunnel, used by visitors. 5 under • The Tutoko Track begins at the main highway and follows the Tutoko River to the head of the Tutoko Valley. 5 • There is another walkway off the main highway - the Grave Talbot - that connects with the south-eastern section of the operational area, however it is highly unlikely anyone would be able to access the treatment area using this track. 5 • There is an informal access route into the Bowen Valley, used by locals. 5 • There is a short Milford Sound Lookout Track used by visitors, in the Milford Sound township area. 5 Released• The Cleddau Valley has a route from the main highway up the Gulliver River (the Grave Talbot Walk). This route can be used by the public. 5 • There is a large layby at the Chasm, which is linked to a 400m walkway over the Cleddau River. The Chasm lay-by and walk-way are a high-use area over the Summer months, with a reduction in numbers over the main Winter months. 5 • The Milford Track runs the length of the Arthur Valley. It is a two day walk from Mintaro Hut (in the adjacent Clinton Valley) to Sandfly Point, at Milford Sound. 5 Iwi Interest - Cleddau 5 Iwi Interest – Arthur Sinbad 6 docdm-95868 1 DOC application form Version 3.3 2. OUTCOMES AND TARGETS 8 3. CONSULTATION AND CONSENTS 10 4. METHODS 11 5. FURTHER INFORMATION 14 APPENDIX 1: DOC PERFORMANCE STANDARDS 16Act APPENDIX 2: MAPS 20 APPENDIX 3: COMMUNICATION RECORD 23 APPENDIX 4: CONSENTS 24 APPENDIX 5: ASSESSMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS 25 Information Official the under Released docdm-95868 2 DOC application form Version 3.3 1. Introduction It is proposed that the following pesticide uses will be applied: 1.1 Overview • Pesticide Use #1 - sodium fluoroacetate 1.5g/kg cereal pellet aerial • Pesticide Use #2 - sodium fluoroacetate 1.5g/kg cereal pellet hand-laid Act Permission is sought for toxic application starting on or after 1 July 2019 and ending on or before 30 June 2020. Non-toxic prefeed will be applied no earlier than 1 July 2019. Primary method to be employed is aerial 1080 with hand laid 1080 to be used within ground-exclusions and buffer areas as required. Information 1.2 Arthur Sinbad Cleddau Treatment area Consent Application Area:Official 31,583 hectares Aerial Treatment Area: 17,924 hectares Potential Groundthe Treatment Area: 346 hectares N.B. Aerial application and ground-exclusion hectares are to be confirmed once PHU and DOC final consent condition requirements are fully incorporated into operational mapping. underThis is one of several key management sites within Fiordland National Park that have been prioritised for predator control in response to beech mast events and subsequent predator irruptions. Without intervention threatened species within these sites face local extinction. The treatment area is a significant habitat for several declining and threatened species including whio, kea, Fiordland tokoeka, Released kāka, rockwren and grey duck. Other species of note in this area are fuchsia, mistletoe, rata, kamahi and totara. The Cleddau Valley is part of the wider Northern Fiordland Whio Security Site identified by the Whio Recovery Plan 2009 – 19 (Glaser et. al. 2010) docdm-95868 2 DOC application form Version 3.3 The lower Arthur Valley (Lake Ada and surrounds) also holds a population of the at risk-recovering pateke. Predator control to protect this population is critical at this site. 1.3 Arthur Treatment Block: 11,432 hectares Treatment block(s) Cleddau Treatment Block: 5,284 hectares Sinbad Treatment Block: 1,207 hectares Act 1.4 Milford Sound Village – adjacent to the treatment area. Geographical Te Anau Township – 118kms south of the treatment area. location The Cleddau portion of the operation encompasses the areas on either side of State Highway 94 leading into Milford Sound Township from the Homer Tunnel and Cleddau headwaters in the south. Information The operation extends beyond Milford Sound Township through the valley of the Bowen River to the north and also the Tutoko River valley. Immediately to the southOfficial of Milford Sound Township and the Cleddau River the operational area extends up to the 700m contour before following the valley floor adjacent to Highway 94. the The operation also works along the Donne River in the north east and up to the Adelaide Saddle. The Arthur Sinbad portion of the operation leads south west underfrom Milford Sound along the Arthur River. It encompasses the Joes River catchment on the southern side of the valley. To the north it takes in the Sinbad Gully adjoining Milford Sound to Staircase Creek in the south and all the catchments in between north of the Arthur River. Released1.5 • Part-only of Fiordland National Park; a National Park Adjacent land under section 4 of the National Parks Act 1980 tenure and • Coastal Marine Reserve Area uses • State Highway 94 (Southland District Council) docdm-95868 3 DOC application form Version 3.3 1.6 The Milford Sound Village is located at the end of SH94 and Nearby approximately 1.5km outside of the treatment area. residential areas or facilities 1.7 Commercial & Recreational Interests Community • The Arthur Valley includes part of the Milford Track, a interests Great Walk track, with over 10,000 visitors per year. Act • The Sinbad Gully is remote and gets very little public use. • The Cleddau contains the only road access to Milford Sound, so is a high public use area. • There is an airport situated at Milford Sound, which is used both commercially and privately. • Commercial fishing vessels moor at Deepwater basin. • There is helicopter access to this operational area, with a commercial helicopter company operating out of Milford Sound. • Tourists visiting the area by aircraft,Information bus, campervan or car can undertake scenic flights or board a boat cruise at Freshwater Basin. Sea kayaking and diving are also popular. • There is year-round access for anglers (trout) in the Cleddau and Arthur catchments. • The area is also Officialused by recreational climbers. There is a low-level of climbing within the operational area. • Due to there being no resident deer population in the Cleddau thevalley, recreational hunting is not undertaken in this area. • Recreational hunting is permitted but not within 500m of the Milford Track, as this includes most of the valley floor there very little hunting carried out in the Arthur Valley. under• Dogs are not permitted in the National Park. Accessible Areas • The operational area is comprised entirely of National Park. The public have access to the area under the National Parks Act (1980) and the Fiordland National Park Management Plan (2007). • State Highway 94 from Te Anau to Milford Sound runs Released through the treatment area, but is excluded from any bait sowing.