5 May 2006
Commissioner of Crown Lands
C/- Opus International Consultants Ltd
Private Bag 1913
Dunedin
Attn: Dave Payton
Fax (03) 474 8895 DD 03 474 8914
Email: dave.payton@opus.co.nz
This submission is made on behalf of the New Zealand Deerstalkers' Association Incorporated (NZDA). NZDA is the national association of recreational deerstalkers and other big game hunters. We have 58 branches. A number of other hunting clubs throughout New Zealand are also members. We have 7200 individual members, and have been actively advocating for deerstalking and hunting and running training courses, trips, conferences etc since 1937. Branches and individuals of NZDA may also be making their own submissions.
NZDA has a longstanding interest in the surrender of wildlands unsuitable for grazing from pastoral leases and pastoral occupation licences. Under New Zealand trespass laws, recreational hunters have often been locked out of hunting deer on the wildland parts of these leases by the lessees, who keep the publicly owned wild big game for their own use or sale.
NZDA strongly supports this Preliminary Proposal, apart from the need to enlarge CA2 from 40 to 212 Ha. NZDA also wants DOC to legalise the whole of the Mt Buster road (some parts of it are off the legal alignment), so that it is available to the public to drive over.
Kyeburn pastoral lease, on the Maniototo Plains, and hills adjacent to the Ida Range is 6,586 Ha. The lease is in two parts - the Run Block 10 Km northeast of Naseby (CA1, all to be surrendered, primarily Class VIIe & VIII land), and the smaller Home block on the Maniototo Plains, 4 Km southeast of Naseby, primarily to be freeholded.
CA1 (4,677 Ha), the whole of the Run Block, is proposed for surrender to conservation land, subject to a 3 year grazing phase-out concession and horse trekking concession. This area is an alpine plateau, defined by the St Mary's Range to the north and northeast, Mt Kyeburn to the southeast, and the Hawkdun-Ida Range to the west.
The lease has several historic gold diggings. Mt Kyeburn (437 Ha), adjacent to the southeast of the Run Block, is already conservation land. The Little Kyburn catchment, at the south of the Run Block, contains diverse native biodiversity, including upland tussocklands. The Little Kyburn and especially the Buster Plateau have significant landscape values. Guffies Stream (northern Run Block) has tall tussock.
Concessions to Current Lessee: Grazing proposed for the whole of the Run Block, for a term of 3 years, as a phase-out. Stock limit of 3,000 ewes for 3 months between January & April.
Horse Trekking - ten years, on an existing tracked route. Use of two huts, Provens and Stone to be allowed by the Concession, if DOC agrees the huts are habitable.
CA2 - (40 Ha) on the Home Block. To be surrendered to conservation land - to protect matagouri and native brooms. Remainder (1,869 Ha) to be freeholded.
CA1 Plateau - Run Block: The CA1 Plateau is a key addition to add lower land, east of Guffies Stream, along the western side of the St Mary's Range and Mt Kyeburn. It creates the opportunity of linking the St Mary's and Mt Kyeburn conservation areas with the Ida Range conservation area to the west. It also protects lower land, a native vegetation type that in the past has missed out on surrender in tenure review generally. It is a key piece of land for a conservation park incorporating the Hawkdun and St Mary's Ranges.
In the only comprehensive assessment of outdoor recreational characteristics and value for Otago, Bruce Mason, in "Outdoor Recreation in Otago - A Conservation Plan Vol 1" (1988, Federated Mountain Clubs) assessed the Run Block (CA1) as worthy of natural space protection. (Map, Page 36, text p 33-35, 37-40).
Because it is lower than the usual mountain top surrenders, NZDA believes this area will be popular for hunting, tramping etc, giving a significantly different and less demanding outdoor experience than the higher lands. It's interest in terms of native tussockland and shrubland, and associated open landscapes will also be appreciated by recreational users.
A Red deer herd, pigs, quail and Chuka provide significant recreational hunting opportunities on CA1.
CA2 - Home Block: Minimal value for hunting. Valuable for biodiversity protection. Should be enlarged to the full SIV area.
NZDA strongly supports this Preliminary Proposal, apart from the need to enlarge CA2 (see above). NZDA also wants DOC to legalise the whole of the Mt Buster road (some parts of it are off the legal alignment), so that it is available to the public to drive over (see below).
This surrender is of interest to hunters. NZDA strongly supports this change to public conservation land for its recreational hunting value, and its other recreational and native biodiversity values. As the recreational hunting resources are publicly owned, it is better that they be on public land, where they are available to the public, rather than on privately occupied land.
Re the Home Block, NZDA strongly supports the Royal Forest and Bird Protection Society in requesting more of the originally proposed 212 Ha SIV (significant inherent values) area to be surrendered. Usually SIV areas were only "postage stamp" size. To cut back from the 212 Ha proposal to only 40 Ha, smacks of disrespect for native biodiversity.
NZDA agrees that the surrender of CA1 is a great decision, well justified. We do not believe that a large part of the SIV proposal on the Home Block should be sacrificed possibly because of the "cost" of surrendering CA1. This decision points yet again to the lessee having too much power in the negotiations cf Ann Brower's research findings.
4.1 Vehicle Access etc
NZDA requests DOC legalise the whole of the Mt Buster road (some parts of it are off the legal alignment), so that it is available to the public to drive over. Potentially, this road could provide part of 4WD recreational access from the Maniototo to the upper Waitaki. It certainly would allow public access to the Mt Buster diggings, an interesting and popular historic site.
4.2 DOC should allow Responsible Hunter Vehicle Access: NZDA proposes allowing responsible 4WD access on the well formed tracks, especially for recreational hunting purposes. We note that the base of most of the vehicle tracks on CA1 are very solid. The present locked gate on the track below Mt Buster needs to be managed to support responsible recreational use.
Our members have concerns that the gold digging remains at Mt Buster, be fenced to stop damage by irresponsible 4WD drivers, with a bypass for vehicles put in to skirt the diggings.
With little aerial commercial helicopter recovery at present, there deer numbers may rise in open tussock areas such as CA1. NZDA and its Branches want to work with DOC to stop buildup of high deer numbers, something neither of us wants to see.
One way to encourage greater recreational hunting pressure in "hot spot" areas is to allow recreational hunters to use 4WD vehicles for carrying out deer taken. NZDA has an ethical requirement on members that they utilise deer meat taken. Use of 4WD access means more time recreationally hunting, and less time carting deer out on the hunter's back.
4.3 Huts should Remain: All huts on CA1 should remain, as they give valuable shelter and safety in adverse winter conditions. They should be publicly available in future ie maintained by DOC or with assistance from DOC, by community outdoor groups. Some NZDA branches are interested in discussing this maintenance option with DOC.
4.4 Horseriding Concession Huts: Confirm that these huts are also available to the public.
Please contact me if you require further information. Thanking you
Yours truly
Dr Hugh Barr
NZDA National Advocate
cc Department of Conservation, Dunedin
© 2011 New Zealand Deerstalkers' Association