Category: Conservation

Source: Department of Conservation

Date:  10 October 2023

Ngāti Hei has lifted its rāhui at Cathedral Cove but has re-emphasised its support for DOC’s closure of tracks in the interests of visitor safety.

Ngāti Hei leaders have also highlighted need for the whenua to heal from what they have expressed as abuse of a culturally significant site.

The iwi placed a rāhui over Cathedral Cove in February, after Cyclone Gabrielle damaged tracks to the cove and washed away built structures at the bottom of the track which gives access to the cove.

Ngāti Hei Kaumatua Joe Davis publicly voiced his concern manuhiri (visitors) would be putting themselves at risk by using tracks which DOC had closed to manage risk to visitors created by rockfall and landslides.

The tīkanga to lift the rāhui was completed last week.

“Ngāti Hei still believes the whenua needs a rest,” Joe says. “We still care about the well-being of people engaging with this important cultural site – and we urge people to respect DOC’s restrictions on access.”

Joe says Ngāti Hei, like DOC staff, are aware people continue to disregard well-publicised track closure advice and find ways of accessing the beach from the land, including creating their own paths through the bush.

“We’re concerned people are putting themselves in harm’s way by ignoring the warnings. We do not want anyone getting hurt at Cathedral Cove, and we cannot manage visitors’ health and safety if they choose not to pay attention to the warnings,” Joe says.

“We want to add our voice to DOC’s risk advocacy for Cathedral Cove and encourage people to stay off the tracks and the reserve land immediately surrounding the beach.”

Nick Kelly, DOC’s Coromandel Operations Manager, says DOC appreciates people still want to see Cathedral Cove and urged them “see it from the sea”.

“As we’ve repeatedly stated, there is a very real risk of potentially harmful rockfall and erosion at this beach. DOC has a responsibility to manage and publicise that risk, which is what we’ve been doing.

“A particular concern for us is the type of visitors who traditionally go to Cathedral Cove – they’re day-trippers looking for a safe and easy walk to a beach. With damaged tracks and the risk of landslides and rockfall, it’s not suitable for this type of visitors who’ve traditionally gone there.”

Work to decommission the toilets on the beach has also begun this week.

As recently as September, rocks the size of chilly bins fell from the cove’s famous arch. DOC staff have finalised the installation of signage which warns of the risk identified in an independent report provided to DOC by Tonkin + Taylor, which is published on the DOC website.

Visitors planning to access Cathedral Cove from the sea are advised to inform themselves of the risk on the beach, and to take into account weather, sea and tide conditions before attempting to land.

DOC is working on options to reimagine the Cathedral Cove/Hahei conservation experience, factoring in the impacts of climate change and the need to make sensible investments in long-term resilient solutions.

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Source: Department of Conservation

Date:  06 October 2023

The Wharawhara Track and areas within immediate proximity of the site were temporarily closed and a rāhui was imposed in July when Phytophthora agathidicida (PA), the pathogen that causes kauri disease, was detected during routine soil sampling.

DOC Operations Manager Zane Jensen said restricting access protected kauri by limiting any possible spread of the pathogen while wider sampling across the site was complete.

“We all have a role to play in protecting these Rakau Rangatira,” says Zane.

“We’re pleased sampling did not re-detect the pathogen that causes kauri disease, so we can now look forward to re-opening areas within the site.

DOC staff will assess track condition and make sure they are safe for visitors to use.

“We will update our website as tracks re-open between now and 29 October. Until then they will stay closed.”

“If track conditions aren’t safe for visitors, or re-opening would pose further risk to kauri, they will stay closed for further maintenance to bring them up to standard.

“We’ll continue collaborating with mana whenua, Tiakina Kauri, and other agencies to monitor and protect kauri.”

Mana whenua liaison Carlton Bidois said further sampling work and new infrastructure was needed to lower the risk of visitors transferring the pathogen to kauri.

“Mana whenua will continue to assess the merits of lifting rāhui against the backdrop of risk management options moving forward.”

DOC, in partnership with mana whenua, have made the call to have two tracks, (Wharawhara Tramway Track and Te Rereatukahia Hut Track), remain closed for approximately 6 months for additional sampling in suitable conditions.

Visitors to re-opened tracks are reminded to stay on tracks, arrive clean, and leave clean to avoid spreading the PA pathogen.

Te whakatuwheratanga o ngā ara i te Kaimai

Kei te aromatawaitia e Te Papa Atawhai ngā ara kua rāhuitia i roto i te ngahere o Kaimai Mamaku. Ko te whāinga kia nahanaha ai te whakatuwhera i ētahi o ngā ara i te marama e heke mai nei.

I te Hūrae rāhuitia ai te takiwā e karapoti ana i te ara o Te Wharawhara, nā te kitenga o te tukumate kauri e kīa nei ko te Phytophthora agathidicida (PA), i roto i tētahi tīpakonga one hātepe.

E ai ki a Zane Jensen, pou matarautaki ki Te Papa Atawhai, he rautaki parahau te rāhui e haumaru ai ngā kauri i te horapa o te tukumate, kia tīpakohia whānuitia te one i te ngahere.

“Nā tātou katoa te haepapa ki te tiaki i ēnei rākau hirahira”, te kī a Zane.
“E matakuikui ana mātou kāore i kitea anō te tukumate i roto i ētahi atu tīpakonga one, nā konā e taea ai te aro ki te whakatuwhera i te ngahere.”

Ka aromatawaitia ngā ara e ngā kaimahi o Te Papa Atawhai, kia whakatauria mēnā he marutau mō te marea.

“Ka whakahoungia tā mātou pae tukutuku ina tuwhera ai ētahi ara i te marama o Oketopa.”

“Mēnā kāore ngā ara e marutau mō te marea, mēnā rānei ka tūraru ngā kauri ki te whakatuwhera, ka kati tonu ēnā ara kia oti pai ngā mahi whakawhanake.”

“Ka mahi tahi tonu mātou ko ngā iwi mana whenua, ko Tiakina Kauri, ko ētahi atu roopu hoki ki te aroturuki, ki te manaaki i ngā kauri.”

Ka kati tonu ēnei ara e rua, Wharawhara Tramway Track me Te Rereatukahia Hut Track, mo ngā marama e ono, kia tīpakohia anō te one i ngā marama mahana.

Hei manatu ki ngā manuhiri, piri ki ngā ara, horoia o hū me ō taputapu i mua i tō kuhunga i te ngahere, i tō wehenga hoki, koi horapa te tukumate.

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Source: Department of Conservation

Date:  05 October 2023 Source:  Offices of the Minister of Conservation and the Minister of Oceans and Fisheries

• First marine reserves in southeastern South Island.
• Six new marine reserves increase mainland reserves by 67%.
• Protects habitats of hoiho/yellow-eyed penguin, toroa/northern royal albatross, rāpoka/New Zealand sea lion, as well as brittle stars, squat lobster, kōura, shrimps, crabs, sponges, sea squirts, reef fishes and many others.
• Builds on the Government’s record of ocean protection.

The Labour Government is continuing to deliver on its promise to protect New Zealand’s oceans, with the announcement today of six new marine reserves between Oamaru and The Catlins.

Conservation Minister Willow-Jean Prime and Oceans and Fisheries Minister Rachel Brooking joined Kāi Tahu representatives in Dunedin today to mark the creation of the first marine reserves in the southeast South Island.

“Protecting our oceans and their biodiversity for future generations is important to this Government,” Willow-Jean Prime said.

“In August we announced our plans to protect the Hauraki Gulf. Today, we’re announcing six new marine reserves in the South Island.

“The creation of these new reserves increases the area in marine reserves around mainland New Zealand by more than two thirds.

“This spectacular coastline from Oamaru to Southland is home to some of our most endangered species, like hoiho/yellow-eyed penguin, toroa/northern royal albatross and rāpoka/New Zealand sea lion.

“It includes estuarine and tidal lagoons, rocky reefs, offshore canyons, giant kelp forests and deepwater bryozoan or lace coral thickets, and an array of marine life that were under pressure from human activity.

“Local communities have worked hard on this for more than a decade and it is a huge pleasure to be able to deliver on it for them.”

Willow-Jean Prime said close engagement with mana whenua had been important.

“I acknowledge Kāi Tahu – as kaitiaki for this spectacular coast – for their engagement in the shaping of the new marine reserves.

“Provisions have been made for Kāi Tahu to continue to access the marine reserve areas for practices that enhance their mātauraka Māori (traditional knowledge) and retrieve koiwi tākata (ancestral remains), artefacts and marine mammal remains.

“Kāi Tahu will work in partnership with the Department of Conservation to manage the marine reserves once they are in place.”

Rachel Brooking said the six marine reserves were the first step in creating a network of marine protection in the area, and build on the Government’s track record of protecting the oceans.

“From tightening the rules to around fish being discarded at sea and putting cameras on commercial fishing vessels, to stopping bottom trawling the vast bulk of the Hauraki Gulf, this is a Government that understands you can’t have a successful commercial fishing industry in an unhealthy ocean,” Rachel Brooking said.

As well as the six marine reserves announced today, the Government is looking at using fisheries management regulations to protect a further five areas, along with a proposed kelp protection area. Rachel Brooking said 90% of more than 4,000 submissions had shown there is broad backing for the proposed network.

The Government has also created nine new mātaitai reserves this year, bringing the total number to 66.

More information and maps of the marine reserves

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Source: Department of Conservation

Date:  03 October 2023

The system is now live for bookings from 14 October onwards.

Ngāti Hikairo ki Tongariro and DOC want to ensure the experience of walking the Crossing protects the fragile environment, respects the cultural significance of the area, and is safe and sustainable.

DOC Director Heritage and Visitors Catherine Wilson, says visitor numbers on the Crossing are putting consistent pressure on the conservation and cultural values of the area, as well as the infrastructure.

“DOC will be making changes to the Tongariro Alpine Crossing in the coming years, aiming to better manage the pressures and strengthening cultural and heritage values of the area.

“By proactively managing the challenges facing the Tongariro Alpine Crossing, New Zealanders will help protect Tongariro for future generations.

“Bookings from the season will inform the management of the Crossing and visitor information and feedback will help us shape future improvements” says Catherine Wilson.

Ngāti Hikairo ki Tongariro spokesperson Te Ngaehe Wanikau, says the spiritual, cultural and physical wellbeing of the maunga and its environment are paramount.

“Everything else fits into that. Our enduring advocacy is that rangatiratanga, manaakitanga, kaitiakitanga and the associate tikanga of Manaaki Tangata Manaaki Whenua will be reflected in the physical application in management and operations.

“Any action or activity within the area will be based firmly in these values” says Te Ngaehe Wanikau. 

Tongariro National Park has Dual World Heritage status for its cultural and natural heritage values.

Although bookings are highly encouraged, they are not compulsory. Visitors who turn up at the Crossing without a booking will not be penalised.

Visitors who have a Tongariro Northern Circuit hut or campsite booking are exempt from booking through the new system.

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Source: Department of Conservation

Date:  29 September 2023

“We’re over the halfway line to bring it up to Great Walk standard,” says Southern South Island Director of Operations Aaron Fleming, “but there’s still a lot to do. All project partners have agreed more time is needed for construction, so the end date has been pushed out to October 2024.

“The track is already open and in use, managed by the Tuatapere Hump Ridge Charitable Trust. Bookings are still open during construction, with public access given priority.

Bookings for the Hump Ridge Track can be made on the Trust’s site: humpridgetrack.co.nz/pages/how-to-book.

The Hump Ridge track is 61kms and takes about three days. Trampers are treated to an alpine environment with soaring limestone tors, uphill sections through coastal forests, expansive beaches, historic viaduct bridges, old timber settlements, and the longest tramway sleeper walk in the southern hemisphere.

“Great progress has been made to date and visitors walking the track this summer season will notice obvious signs of improvement, even if this is their first time on the Hump Ridge,” Aaron Fleming says.

Three sections of the track have clearly been upgraded and realigned, with new steps installed to cross over rough terrain. Other parts are still under construction, but accessible.  The Rarakau carpark redevelopment has also started.

“We are also working with mana whenua Ōraka Aparima Rūnaka and Rowallan Alton Inc to develop storytelling and interpretation for the track. Significant headway has been made in construction of the Waharoa (gateway) for the track entrance.”

“When the Hump Ridge Track upgrade is finished it will be safer and more accessible to more people. Tricky gradients are being eased, boardwalks have been put in over mucky ground, sections of the track have been future proofed against climate change and natural hazards and emergency alternative routes and new swing bridges are being constructed,” says Aaron Fleming.

“Improving the Hump Ridge Track means this place steeped in cultural and historical significance becomes more of a drawcard for a larger pool of kiwi and international visitors.”

Background information

• The Hump Ridge is considered a challenging track, walkers need to ensure they plan and prepare well for their trip and have a reasonable level of fitness.
• For more information about the upgrade see: Hump Ridge Track map (PDF, 3,700K)
• The project has a budget of $7.9 million and is currently running to budget.
• The time extension is not expected to impact the budget.

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Source: Department of Conservation

Date:  28 September 2023

Department of Conservation staff have been assessing tracks and other structures across southern South Island following last week’s storm event which triggered a State of Emergency across the region.

DOC Operations Director Southern South Island Aaron Fleming says so far reports for the major tracks are looking positive, but some local tracks remain closed.

“Now the weather has cleared, the clean-up begins. Our staff have been working hard to get out across the region to check for damage and ensure our structures are safe. The major impacts on many of the tracks appears to be windfall – trees and other debris covering tracks – and erosion from floodwaters,” Aaron says.

“This means people will need to take extra care when out exploring, but for the most part, many tracks are open.”

Where damage is more significant, such as large washouts or bridges are down, DOC has closed tracks until repairs or remediation can take place, Aaron says.

This includes the Lake Sylvan Track near Glenorchy and the Mt Crichton Loop near Queenstown. Dore Pass carpark and Mackay Creek Campground on the Milford Road are closed due to washouts, and Freeman Burn Hut in Fiordland is closed due to the risks posed by a dam which has formed upstream of the hut.

“We’ll be updating our website as more information comes through but in the meantime, we encourage people to use extra caution when heading out.

“Rivers may still be high and land could be unstable so people should use good judgement and don’t take unnecessary risks.”

With significant weather events becoming more frequent due to the impacts of climate change, DOC is looking at ways to build resilience across its network of infrastructure, Aaron says.

“Repairing and replacing assets takes time and resources. The February 2020 storm caused significant damage to tracks, huts and bridges across Otago and Fiordland that were important to local communities, recreational users and tourism operators alike. We’ve made excellent progress with those repairs, with the majority reopened but still have work almost four years later.

“We need to ensure our assets such as tracks, bridges and huts are resilient to the impacts of climate change, and this means it’s not always about simply replacing like for like.

“We need to think differently and plan ahead,” Aaron says.

In the meantime, people planning to head to public conservation land should always check the weather forecast, look at the DOC website or contact their nearest visitor centre for up-to-date information on track conditions.

If people come across any damage or windfall they can send photos to their local DOC office.

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Source: Department of Conservation

Date:  27 September 2023

DOC Nelson Lakes Senior Biodiversity Ranger Melissa Griffin says kea had practically disappeared from Nelson Lakes but more kea sightings last summer suggest efforts to re-build the population are working. 

“Trampers reported seeing groups of kea with juvenile and sub-adult birds,” says Melissa Griffin.

“It’s been particularly exciting young kea known to have been bred in the Nelson Lakes area were among those seen. This shows the birds are doing well on their own.”

Six kea chicks successfully fledged from two monitored nests in the 2022 breeding season – three from each kea nest. The nesting adult females also each had three chicks fledge from their nests in the 2021 breeding season. 

Nesting in the current breeding season is starting with so far one of the females sitting on eggs in her monitored nest cavity.

The exact number of kea in the Nelson Lakes area isn’t known but Melissa Griffin estimates there now could be around 25, based on reported sightings.

DOC and Kea Conservation Trust efforts to protect and grow the kea population in Nelson Lakes are being boosted thanks to support from the World Parrot Trust and New Zealand Parrot Trust, charities devoted to the conservation of wild parrots.

The funding facilitates critical work by contractors during the breeding season to help maintain stoat traps around monitored kea nests.

“The World Parrot Trust and New Zealand Parrot Trust support to protect kea nests enables DOC rangers to put more time into learning more about the kea in the area,” says Melissa Griffin.

“We’re also grateful for the support enabling us to purchase five radio-transmitters. These will be put on fledging kea chicks this breeding season to track them and find out where they go after they leave the nest.”

“We are proud to support DOC in its mission to protect kea at Nelson Lakes National Park. Kea play an important role as seed dispersers in subalpine and alpine environments. Therefore, an increase in kea numbers in the area can have an important effect on plant communities,” said Luis Ortiz-Catedral, Oceania Regional Director of the World Parrot Trust.

DOC staff are encouraging visitors to Nelson Lakes to look out for kea and report sightings to assist in learning more about the local population.

A novel approach was taken last summer with visitors invited to take part in a “Where’s Wally” type quest to find a juvenile kea named Wallie. Wallie had fledged from one of the monitored nests in December and Melissa Griffin says the bird was given the name after proving to be hard to spot in the nest.

“For a long time, there were only two kea chicks seen in footage from cameras focussed on the entrance to the nest cavity, then randomly a third chick started to appear. It was something of a mystery bird.”

Wallie is distinguishable by leg bands used to identify individual birds with Wallie’s being the letters CW in yellow on a blue band. There have been several sightings of Wallie so far this year.

People are asked to report sightings of banded kea and other kea to a kea database to help build a picture of kea numbers in areas and kea movements. 

Live capture traps, purchased through Kea Conservation Trust fundraising, helped protect a monitored kea nest in the Rainbow Conservation Area from predation by feral cats during the 2022 breeding season. Nine feral cats were caught in the traps.

The other monitored nest was in the Rotoiti Nature Recovery Project area and benefitted from its ongoing stoat and possum trapping.

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Source: Department of Conservation

Date:  22 September 2023

A State of Emergency has been declared for Southland and parts of Otago after heavy rain caused flooding across the region.

Lake Sylvan Bridge
Image: DOC

DOC Operations Director Southern South Island Aaron Fleming says while it is too soon to know the extent of potential damage, DOC expects a number of tracks, bridges and campsites could be impacted.

“Our first priority is keeping people safe. People should listen to Civil Defence and police and follow any instructions or alerts to keep themselves and others safe.”

DOC staff have not yet been able to assess the damage across the network, but people should expect unstable land, swollen streams and rivers, and damage to visitor facilities, Aaron says.

“One area that we know has been impacted is the popular Lake Sylvan Track. Yesterday the Sylvan bridge was destroyed, and the bank eroded by the fast-flowing river, and trees were seen falling in high numbers along the track. The track is now inaccessible.

“We will have a better idea in the coming days and weeks, but right now we suggest people rethink any backcountry plans and not take any unnecessary risks.”

People who have bookings for campsites and other DOC facilities that are impacted by the State of Emergency can contact bookings@doc.govt.nz.  

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Source: Department of Conservation

Date:  21 September 2023

The current survey, started in 2020 and still underway, has found to date a 340% increase in whio/blue duck numbers in Kahurangi since a DOC whio survey in 1998-2000.

In the latest survey, 846 adult whio, with 335 breeding pairs among them, have been observed. In the 1998-2000 survey, 191 adult whio, including 58 pairs, were counted.

DOC Science Technician Jason Malham says the combined endeavours of DOC, the community, business and a captive breeding facility have greatly improved the fortunes of whio in Kahurangi National Park since the 2000 survey.

“We started two DOC whio security sites in the early 2000s to protect whio with stoat trapping and boosting breeding with techniques that have enabled more rapid growth in their numbers. The Ōpārara-Ugly and Wangapeka-Fyfe Whio Security Sites have both surpassed the goal of 50 breeding pairs.

“Support from Genesis through the Whio Forever programme, The Isaac Conservation and Wildlife Trust in raising whio ducklings, and contractor and community volunteer help in maintaining traps have been instrumental to the security sites protecting whio and increasing their numbers. The community volunteers include Tapawera Area School students and other locals.

“Aerial 1080 predator control over large areas of Kahurangi National Park has also increased protection for whio and other vulnerable native wildlife from high rat and stoat numbers in years when there has been beech seeding, known as a mast.

“More whio pairs generally have been found on security site rivers where stoat trapping is supplemented with aerial 1080 predator control. The average pair density on rivers with both forms of predator control was 0.76 pairs per kilometre compared to 0.58 pairs per kilometre with 1080 alone and 0.12 pairs per kilometre before predator control or any whio management was carried out.

“Community groups are undertaking trapping which contributes to protecting whio. These include the Friends of Flora, operating in the Flora Stream catchment, the Friends of Cobb, in the Cobb Valley, and the Mokihinui-Lyell Backcountry Trust on the Old Ghost Road.

“An Air New Zealand-supported biodiversity project in Gouland Downs has a trapping network to protect whio, takahē, roroa/great spotted kiwi and other native species.”

DOC staff have walked more than 700 kilometres of waterway in the current whio survey. Exact counts of whio in the 516,000-hectare national park aren’t possible, but DOC staff are highly encouraged by the substantial increase in the Kahurangi whio population indicated by the numbers being observed.

Although overall numbers have risen, in some places, setbacks for whio have been noticed since the current survey started that reflect challenges the ducks face in the wild.

Survey results indicate climate change may have impacted whio in some parts of the national park. Repeated flooding of rivers in successive very wet winters appears to have led to fewer breeding attempts in places, with very few ducklings or juveniles encountered in most surveys at those sites.

Repeated surveying of some rivers showed a decline in whio numbers that is thought to be due to the 2019 mega beech mast. It was the biggest beech mast for more than 40 years in South Island forests and with abundant beech seed for food, rat and mice numbers soared. Stoat and feral cat numbers also escalated due to the increased numbers of rodents they feed on. Aerial 1080 predator control was carried out over a large part of Kahurangi National Park but it wasn’t possible to cover all the park.

It’s thought that as the beech seed ran out and rodent numbers dropped off in 2021, hungry stoats and feral cats then turned to preying on even large native birds such as whio and kea. Predators moving in from land adjoining the park particularly appears to have impacted whio numbers on some rivers near the park edges.

Background Information

Whio

• The whio is a threatened species of native duck only found in New Zealand’s fast flowing waters. Featured on New Zealand’s $10 note and with an estimated population of less than 3000 birds, whio are rarer than kiwi.
• Whio are adapted to live on fast-flowing rivers. Finding whio means you will also find fresh, fast-flowing water with a good supply of plants and underwater insects.
• This makes whio important indicators of ecosystem health – they only exist where there is quality fresh water and an abundance of life.

Whio Forever

• Genesis has a strong historic association with whio through the Tongariro Power Scheme. In 2010 this association grew through the establishment of Whio Awareness Month (March).
• Today, Genesis and the Department of Conservation (DOC) continue their partnership through The Whio Forever Project, which aims to secure the future of whio in the wild and ensure New Zealanders understand and value whio in our rivers.
• The support of Genesis and the work of DOC has enabled the Whio Recovery Plan to be implemented.

Conservation issue

• The whio are predated by stoats, ferrets and cats with the largest impact during nesting time when eggs, young and females are vulnerable, and also when females are in moult and can’t fly.
• Extensive trapping can manage these predators and work in key whio habitats by DOC and Genesis on the Whio Forever Project has already seen an increase in whio numbers.
• Whio cannot be moved to predator-free islands like other species because of their reliance on fast-flowing rivers.
• Pairs occupy approximately 1km of water – so they need a lot of river to sustain a large population and they fiercely defend their territories, which makes it difficult to put them with other ducks in captivity.
• They are susceptible to flood events which, destroy nests, fragment broods and wash away their valued food source.

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