Tenure Review and Access Submissions and Issues
Hunters Reaffirm Access Respect for Landowners
Public Access Back in the Spotlight: Time to Bite the Bullet
Public Access to New Zealand Outdoors
Soldiers Syndicate Pastoral Occupation Licence
Submission to Land Reference Group Re: Public Access
The Firearm User and Trespass Law
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14 December 2007
Commissioner of Crown Lands
C/- DTZ New Zealand Ltd
Land Resources Division
P O Box 27, Alexandra
Fax (03) 448 9099
Email: alexandra@dtz.co.nz
Dear Commissioner
NZ Deerstalkers’ Association Submission: Soldiers Syndicate POL
This submission is made on behalf of the New Zealand Deerstalkers’ Association Incorporated (NZDA). NZDA is the national body of recreational deerstalkers and other big game hunters. We have 52 branches and a number of hunting clubs throughout New Zealand. We have 7200 members, and have been actively advocating for deerstalking and hunting, especially on public lands. We have been running training courses, trips, conferences etc since 1937.
Under the Crown Pastoral Lands Act any Pastoral Occupation Licence (POL) has no right of renewal. This licence expired in 2003. It has been renewed on a year by year basis to 31 December 2007. As un-leased Crown land this POL is dealt with under Part 3 of the Crown Pastoral Lands Act. It is high remote land with very high landscape, remote recreational and botanic values, some 4WD accessibility, and a significant recreational hunting interest for pigs, Red deer, and Chuckar. It is of low grazing value and is considered fragile, having never been considered as a pastoral lease since the 1948 Land Act was introduced. DOC recommends it as an addition to the Hawkdun-Oteake Conservation Park.
NZ Deerstalkers’ Association strongly supports this land being added to public conservation lands (PCL) to protect its high significant inherent values, including their public recreational opportunities, eg recreational hunting, responsible 4WD use on present tracks. The three present musterers huts on the POL should be retained for their recreational value. Problems with locked gates on the Mt Buster Road should be sorted out. NZDA supports a transitional 5 year grazing licence, without occupation rights, as offered by the Department of Conservation.
The Soldiers Syndicate, (4,450 Ha, annual rental $1,170), expired on 31 December 2003 and has no right of renewal. It has run on with annual roll-overs to 31 December 2007 It is on the northern side of the Mt Ida Range, with access via the Mt Buster Road, from Naseby. It is on the south-east side of the Hawkdun Range.
The North-west boundary is Boundary Creek. Long Spur runs through the middle of the property, with Blue Duck Creek running through the licence next to it to the west. The eastern boundary is a legal road running approximately along the catchment boundary, and across the top of Mt Buster. Streams drain North to the Otematata River and thence to the Waitaki River. The former Mt Ida POL lies to the North. The area is high, rising to above 1300 metres on the ridges.
All the licence area, 4,450 ha, is proposed for surrenderto public conservation land. This is rightly the recommendation of the LINZ Assessment, because of the high recreational value of the area – see “Outdoor Recreation in Otago – A Conservation Plan” Vol 1, by Bruce Mason, Federated Mountain Clubs, Wellington, 1988. NZDA strongly supports this outcome.
Outdoor Recreation in Otago, Vol 1, (ORO-1), Chapter 5 (Pages 36-40) discusses the recreational values of the Hawkdun and Ida ranges, as well as their landscape, vegetation and history. Recreational use for hunting pigs, quail and Chuckar are noted. The CRR says Red deer are seen occasionally. Other recreations on the area include tramping, winter climbing, cross country skiing. The area has a feeling of remoteness. The photos show attractive rolling tussock valleys and tops.
NZDA asks that present 4WD tracks remain open to use. Hunters appreciate being able to use 4WDs to more readily take out harvested meat. We also propose the huts on the POL be retained for recreational use. We note the Preliminary Proposal lists three huts – Blue Duck Hut, Long Promise Hut, and The Soldiers’ Hilton (Schedule 1), as improvements to remain on the Crown land. NZDA strongly supports this requirement.
Pages 19-21 of the Conservation Resources Report discuss Public Recreation values of the expired POL. This shows there is a significant public access problem that will need to be addressed, in the form of a locked gate at the bottom of the track below Mt Buster. This is the main vehicular access way to the expired POL.
The adjacent lessees control this access. It is unclear whether the track is on the legal alignment. These matters need to be addressed by DOC, in consultation with recreational user groups, to allow 4WD access along this road, and along Long Spur. 4WD Access is a valid form of public recreation when this land becomes PCL. A Plan needs to be developed, witth public consultation, to allow it to continue. A round trip via Guffies Creek should also be part of the recreational activities allowed.
Too often in Tenure Review, DOC has acted unilaterally to close public vehicular access when it gains surrender of land under Tenure Review, without providing public vehicular access eg Ahuriri Valley. The CRR states that most current public use is by hunters, 4WD enthusiasts, and those wishing to view the “unique Buster gold diggings”. There is also some use by the annual Otago Cavalcade horse trek.
The POL is on high isolated land, with potentially severe winters. It has never been a pastoral lease under the 1948 Land Act, and a PL has never been considered. Overgrazing is noted in the past eg in 1960 (DDR). The licence was almost cancelled as a result of the overuse, and fire.
It was restored for summer grazing, but with strict stock limits, and a reduction in area. The Annual Rental has stayed at $1,170 since 1977, in spite of inflation. Licences were usually granted for less than ten years. This history shows significant concern about grazing on this area. This history of concern about over-grazing is similar to the Mt Ida Syndicate,
The POL has a stock limitation of 6,500 breeding ewes for 12 weeks from mid-January to early April. It expired on 31 December 2003, but has run on on annual extensions.
The Government’s High Country Objectives of 9 February 2005 proposed (h) to “progressively establish a network of high country parks and reserves.”. Addition of this expired POL to the Oteake Conservation Park is in line with this Objective.
NZDA notes that the economic value of the 4,450 Ha licence is low eg the current rental of $1,170/year. NZDA consequently considers that addition to the Hawkdun Conservation Park is by far the best use of the land, provided DOC do not lock it up by denying 4WD recreational use, and use for recreational hunting.
This CMS lists the St Bathans-Hawkdun-Ida Ranges as one of Otago’s forty special places. It seeks to protect more land in the area via tenure review and cancellation of POLs. The Soldiers Syndicate POL clearly satisfies these criteria. The land should become PCL, and be part of the Conservation Park ie primarily used for recreation.
The adjacent Oteake/Hawkdun Conservation Park contains Red deer and pigs. These probably also cross to/exist on the Soldiers Syndicate Block. Conservation parks are held primarily for recreation. So low numbers of Red deer and pigs are compatible with park recreational hunting. DOC already manages the Oteake Park as a recreational hunting block (See the DOC website). Deer and pig numbers are much lower than the equivalent summer grazing currently allowed under the POL (equivalent to 1,500 ewes/year).
This high remote land is also valued recreationally for its sense of remoteness.
Recommendation: NZDA asks that current three huts on the property be kept for public use. Also the 4WD vehicle tracks.
Attactive tussock valleys across the dissected peneplain, with a backbone of Long Ridge.
NZDA strongly supports this expired POL becoming part of the Hawkdun-Otehake Conservation Park. The land is already unencumbered Crown land. The only way to adequately protect its very high significant inherent and recreational values, and allow their enjoyment by the public, is by making it public conservation land, as recommended. This is by far the best ecologically sustainable option for this high land.
NZDA strongly opposes any disposal as fee simple or special lease for any of this expired POL. Freehold cannot cannot guarantee that the SIVs (significant inherent values) will be maintained. Or that public access and the recreational use will be guaranteed. The area has significant recreational hunting values, that are already recognised on the adjacent Hawkdun Conservation Park.
The area also has a noted and valued sense of remoteness. It is used/valued by other recreation groups eg trampers, cross-country skiers, anglers. NZDA notes that making the land part of the Conservation Park satisfies the following seven high country objectives of the ten listed in the 9 February Cabinet Policy Committee decision: a, c (ii), d, f, g, h, i.
NZDA supports a transition grazing licence as proposed by DOC. After all these tussock ecosystems were subject to significant grazing by Moa until some 500 years ago. Not to graze them is unnatural.
Yours truly
Dr Hugh Barr
National Advocate
For NZ Deerstalkers' Association