Regional Pest Management Plan – Proposal (November 2017) _____________________________________________ Hearing Panel Recommendations on Submissions _____________________________________________ Prepared June 2018 Submitter List Submitter Submitter Name Contact Page Number 569 South Marlborough Landscape Restoration Trust Ian Mitchell 1 571 Rod Littlefield 3 572 Walter Hilhorst 4 573 Picton Dawn Chorus Siobain Browning 5 574 Nine Scott 6 575 The Westervelt Company Steve Smith 7 576 Aquaculture New Zealand Gary Hooper 9 577 Chilean Needle Grass National Steering Group, Warwick Lissaman 11 CNG Action Group 578 Gillian Durham 15 579 Mirza Downs Rick Stolwerk 16 580 Don Miller 17 581 Federated Farmers of New Zealand Kim Reilly 18 582 Weed Solutions Limited Benjamin James Minehan 33 583 Joan Winifred Dodson 36 584 New Zealand Defence Force Rebecca Davies 37 585 Nelson Forests Limited Heather Arnold 49 586 Pat Williams 51 587 Royal Forest and Bird Protection Society of NZ Inc. Debs Martin 54 588 Geoff Evans 70 589 Kiwifruit Vine Health Inc. and New Zealand Kiwifruit John Maher 73 Growers Inc. 590 Department of Conservation Lionel Solly 75 591 Land Information New Zealand Marcus Girvan 99 592 KiwiRail Rebecca Beals 112 593 Marlborough Environment Centre Beverley Ruth Doole 117 594 Phillip Pratt 123 595 Harry Lampe 124 596 Leah Gibson 126 597 Marlborough Sounds Restoration Trust Andrew Macalister 127 598 NZ Transport Agency Carol Bannock 131 599 Ministry for Primary Industries Mike Harre 136 600 Fish & Game NZ Rhys Barrier 166 601 Tony Orman 168 602 William Wallace Scholefield 171 Introduction The following recommendations have been made by the hearing panel (Councillor Cynthia Brooks, Councillor Nadine Taylor and Rural Representative Ross Beech) for the submissions received on the Regional Pest Management Plan – Proposal (November 2017). These recommendations have been entered into a database with the submissions. This report from the database contains the submission, staff comments and the recommendations of the hearing panel. The recommendations can be viewed by the submitters directly from the database on the Council website. Alternatively, this report is available as a PDF on the Council website or available as a hard copy on request. 569 Ian Mitchell 145 Giffords Road, RD 3, Blenheim 7273 South Marlborough Landscape Restoration Trust Category: All In Section 6 we wish that the following pinus species be made subject to sections 52 and 53 of the act. Pinus contorta, nigra, mugo, sylvestris and monticola. These species have no commercial value and are known to spread into Marlborough's hinterland. Plants and seed of such should not be available. Decision Requested As above Staff Comment Staff Recommendation: Note Reason: Staff wish to make aware the fact that if a species is within a programme within the Regional Pest Management Plan (RPMP), it is declared a pest under the Biosecurity Act 1993 (the Act). This triggers the statutory obligations of section 52 and 53 of the Act. Hearing Panel Recommendation Accept in part The hearing panel thanks you for your submission. In response to your submission and others, the hearing panel recommends that the proposed programmes for: contorta pine, Corsican pine, European larch, mountain pine, Scots pine, western white pine and wilding conifers not be included in the Regional Pest Management Plan at this time. A clear message from submitters is that relying on collaborative programmes as proposed is not seen as Council providing enough leadership or providing enough certainty to stakeholders and the community for these high-risk conifer species and wilding conifers. Therefore the hearing panel has concluded that further work is required to develop a Proposal specifically for high-risk conifer species and wilding conifers that seeks to: • Provide certainty about the roles of Council and other stakeholders. • Support the current collaborative programmes. • Provide a clearer framework for handover from collaborative programmes to a regulatory programme for Marlborough in the Regional Pest Management Plan. • Integrate management of the high risk conifers and other wilding species under a single programme within the Regional Pest Management Plan. • Consider the management of the existing containment zones in the 2012 Regional Pest Management Plan. • Consider other species such as sycamore and European larch hybrids. • Have a focus of protecting current non infested areas in Marlborough. • Provide certainty of obligations and benefits for stakeholders and ratepayers and aligns with the intention of the National Wilding Conifer Programme including funding elements. • Incorporate a Good Neighbour Rule. • Better align with MPI National Guidelines and also other region’s approaches where appropriate. The work undertaken as part of this process will include identifying reporting mechanisms, setting out a clear funding framework and benefits and costs for a new programme including addressing the option for a progressive containment objective. The hearing panel recommends that a stakeholder reference group is established to support the development of the Proposal and that this work is completed to align with the 2019/2020 Annual Plan process. While this work is being undertaken, Council will continue to support the current collaborative programmes including existing LTP budget allocations. Council’s involvement in wilding conifer management will continue to be guided by our Biosecurity Strategy. Category: Part Two - Proposed Programmes 7 - Programmes 7.39 - Wilding conifers All Section 7.39 is supported Decision Requested Retain section 7.39 1 Staff Comment Staff Recommendation: Note Reason: Hearing Panel Recommendation Accept in part The hearing panel thanks you for your support of the proposed wilding conifer programme. 2 571 Rod Littlefield 51A Brooklyn Drive, Redwoodtown, Blenheim 7201 Category: All I most strongly object to the use of 1080 in the use of pest control, especially using rate money to which l contribute. 1080 is exceptionally cruel, and no animal should die this way, especially deer ,pigs and occasionally farm animals which is know to happen. The Graff brothers have plenty of film footage to prove this. (Out of sight, out of mind is not acceptable ) The long term benefits of 1080 is very dubious, as many preditors breed back up to pre 1080 levels. In the case of saving the birds, it's probably killing more than it saves. ( While not in Marlborough ,the kea is sadly now endangered). Finally,the risks to human health is still not fully known, but clearly a large amount ends up in our waterways..Also the recent case of a family in the Waikato poisoned after eating wild pig which is suspected of eating 1080 , should be a warning to all. Decision Requested Not provided. Staff Comment Staff Recommendation: Note Reason: Staff comment that 1080 is a registered vertebrate toxic agent available to those who may need to undertake vertebrate pest control. Hearing Panel Recommendation Reject The hearing panel thanks you for your submission and your comments on the use of 1080. Your comments are noted by the hearing panel. The use of 1080 is outside the scope of this review process. 3 572 Walter Hilhorst 77 Hutcheson Street, Mayfield, Blenheim 7201 Category: All Trout are an introduced, noxious organism which, having caused the extinction of native fishes, should be classed as a pest. Their favoured position as a 'fishery' is due to a very effective, historical propaganda campaign waged by Fish & Game for decades, duping an indifferent public for whom, as opposed to birds and plants, native fish are 'out of sight, out of mind' and therefore have suffered from having no advocate. Decision Requested Designate some appropriate water-ways as exclusive habitat for native fishes, mainly white-bait which require low-land, tidal waters to lay eggs. The Taylor and Opawa Rivers are ideal, trout could be eliminated over time by netting and there-after enjoying semi-permanent nets strung across both the lower and higher reaches. Para Swamp is also suitable habitat, nets could be strung across Tuamarina Stream. These measures should be funded by imposing an additional fee on the sale of F&G licenses, a suggestion which may interest councils throughout NZ. That F&G, a private organisation, has jurisdiction over public assets such as water-ways is a travesty and councils throughout NZ should lobby for a change in legislation in order to bring full control within their ambit, F&G reduced to a pressure group like any other private concern. Staff Comment 1. With respect to the classification of trout Staff Recommendation: Reject Reason: Staff comment that trout are currently a sports fish as designated by the Freshwater Fisheries Regulations 1983. In addition, as a species, a programme under a RPMP would not be a feasible intervention to address such a widespread aquatic species. Staff Comment 2. With respect to managing specific waterways Staff Recommendations: Note Reason: Initiatives that may manage a specific waterway are not driven by the Regional Pest Management Plan (RPMP). If Council were to be involved in such an initiative, it would likely be a project to protect biodiversity and/or improve water quality. Staff Comment 3. With respect regard the points raised about Fish & Game Staff Recommendation: Note Reason: Staff comment that not all requests are within the scope of Council's mandate. Hearing Panel Recommendation Reject The hearing panel thanks you for your submission and note that trout are currently designated by the Freshwater Fisheries Regulations 1983 as a sport fish and as such cannot be considered for a programme in the Regional Pest Management Plan. 4 573 Siobain Browning 29 Glentui Place, Waikawa, Picton 7220 (Speaking) Picton Dawn Chorus Category: All Decision Requested to include a wider range of introduced, pest mammals in the Pest Management Strategy Staff Comment 1. To request greater support and/or recognition for a number of introduced mammalian predators. Staff Recommendation: Reject Reason: A Regional Pest Management Plan (RPMP) is a specific tool available to Councils under the Biosecurity Act 1993 (the Act).