Across the Region

October 2018, spring edition

Welcome to the spring edition of Across the Region. As we eagerly anticipate warmer weather and longer days we thought we would highlight some of the biodiversity gems in the region that you might wish to explore. From our regional park Tōtara Reserve in the Manawatū, and Owhango Reserve in Ruapehu, to the iconic Te Apiti - Manawatū Gorge linking Tararua to Palmerston North - there are so many great places that you can get out and enjoy.

We’re lucky to live in such a wild and beautiful country and international communities agree. Our landscape and unique wildlife attracts 3.77 million visitors from all around the world every year. This landscape provides for a wealth of ecosystems such as forests, lakes, wetlands and oceans, as well as an estimated 80,000 native animals, plants and fungi - many of which are found nowhere else in the world.

However, since the arrival of humans, loss of habitat has had a large impact on our native species, largely due to changing land use and the introduction of pest plants and animals. That is why preserving and enhancing our patch of New Zealand is so important to Horizons. Regional councils are the only agencies in the country with a specific statutory function to maintain biodiversity. In addition to our One Plan regulatory rules we are always looking for landowners, community groups, iwi and other organisations to work with to assist with the restoration of bush remnants and wetlands, fencing, planting, and pest and weed control.

I hope you find the content in this newsletter interesting and that it prompts you to make the most of what our region has to offer when it comes to unique plant and animal habitats.

Bruce Gordon

CHAIRMAN

Preserving and enhancing our patch of native New Zealand

Ensuring our region’s biodiversity is preserved for future generations is a key focus for Horizons. In Manawatū-Whanganui over 30 per cent of land area is covered in remnants of native vegetation, and many people live in close proximity to the mountains or coast. A stroll, drive, tramp, kayak, or bike ride to hunt, fish, camp,or finding a scenic vantage point - there are ample places locals and visitors can immerse themselves in native New Zealand experiences. Our region spans over 22,200km2 – 30 per cent of this land is native vegetation. Of that 30 per cent:

Regional Councils have a specific statutory function to maintain biodiversity. Horizons’ approach to the management of biodiversity is focused on maintaining and enhancing indigenous habitats. We do this through work with landowners to protect priority bush remnants and wetlands as well as through partnerships work to support community and environmental groups, and conservation projects to undertake work to protect and restore biodiversity. Another way Horizons contributes to biodiversity management is through pest plant and animal control. This includes the work to implement the new pest management plan introduced in 2017 and the associated work programmes such as the over 1.2 million hectares of possum control and large scale control of wilding pines and work on biological control agents to tackle problem weeds such as old man’s beard. We also manage our only regional park, Tōtara Reserve, and are the lead agency for Te Apiti - Manawatū Gorge Governance Group.

We also have a mechanism for protecting biodiversity sites through our regulatory document, the One Plan. The One Plan contains rules which regulate activities within or adjacent to rare, threatened, or at risk habitats and sites of significance. This includes land containing indigenous plant species, coastal dunes, wetlands, tussock or waterways. These rules ensure our native species and habitats are looked after so that everyone can enjoy them now and in the future. Horizons work also includes monitoring and reporting on the extent of native cover remaining, the number of biodiversity sites under protection and management, and changes in the ecological health of the managed sites as an indication of successful plant and animal pest

Glossary

Biodiversity the variety of plant and animal life

Biosecurity measures taken to protect our environment, human health, and economy from harmful organisms, like pest and diseases. For Horizons, this means plant and animal pest control, and implementation of the Regional Pest Management Plan

Bush remnants areas of native bush

Ecosystems a large community of living organisms (plants, animals and microbes) in a particular area

Endemic native to New Zealand and not found anywhere else in the world

Erosion soil or land loss due to forces such as rain, slope, wind or water

Fauna the animals of a particular area or habitat

Flora the plants of a particular area or habitat

Habitat the natural home or environment of an animal, plant or other organism

Indigenous native or naturally occurring here but also in other places in the world

Non-regulatory non rule or policy based initiatives, such as fencing, trapping and planting in collaboration with landowners and community groups

Regeneration restoration of habitat either through natural regrowth or planting

Regulatory rule based activities connected to Horizons’ One Plan and central government acts such as the Resource Management Act and Biosecurity Act.

Riparian planting trees and plants planted alongside waterways to act as a margin between land and water

Territorial Local Authority city or district council

Wetland an area where water is the primary factor controlling the environment and habitat

Caring for habitats

Clearance of forest and drainage of wetlands to make way for cities, towns, industry and farming has reduced habitat for our native plants and wildlife. Looking ahead, climate change will continue to present challenges both in terms of maintaining suitable habitats, and pest and predator control. With much of our most threatened habitat located on private land, halting the biodiversity decline depends largely on the involvement and commitment of landowners. Horizons works collaboratively with landowners, other agencies and community groups to share the cost of managing the following:

WETLANDS as habitats are one of the most productive systems in the world providing a diverse eco-system for a wide range of species. They are comparable to being the liver of the human body, slowing down the flow of water allowing for some nutrients to be captured and used by the organisms which inhabit the wetland.

BUSH REMNANTS are an important part of our country’s make-up, as they are the representation of the biodiversity that used to cover our land. These areas provide critical habitat for our native flora and fauna.

BIODIVERSITY PARTNERSHIPS are projects that extend beyond the property boundary of a single landowner and/or involve contributions from a variety of community groups, external agencies and third parties. As the projects expand they commonly draw in additional funding from partnering agencies such as city and district councils, Department of Conservation, and iwi and hapū. Examples include Kia Wharite, Te Apiti - Manawatū Gorge and Pukaha Mt Bruce.

STREAM MARGINS are a highly beneficial habitat area for surrounding ecosystems and can be enhanced through riparian planting which has a wide range of benefits. Increased shading reduces the amount of sunlight that can reach the stream helping to prevent or maintain low levels of weed growth. Riparian planting creates habitat for native fish by allowing undercuts to form under banks, providing holes for fish to hide in, and falling trees/branches help create structurally complex habitats. These plants also create habitat for invertebrates which then fall into the stream and become fish food, and increase food sources for birds and bees, helping with diversification of our biodiversity and pollination.

HORIZONS' BUSH REMNANTS AND WETLANDS PROGRAMME started in 2007-08 with the intent of getting 100 of the top wetlands and 200 of the top bush remnants under management within 10 years of the One Plan becoming operational. At this stage relatively little was known about our region’s indigenous biodiversity, especially on private land. The processes underlying the programme and the supporting science programme were developed to provide information required to answer two questions - what do we have and what state is it in?

Now, some 10 years on, we have a large amount of information, with new modelling and tools that can be used to more effectively answer the next question - how and where should we act to most effectively manage and conserve the region’s biodiversity?

We have recently reviewed our biodiversity programme and are in the process of implementing recommendations. This work will inform and enhance our existing management programme.

Some of our estuaries are managed under the top 100 wetlands programme, others in collaboration with other agencies. Council’s science programme has completed a stocktake of the region’s 41 estuaries which included assessing their vulnerability to sediment and nutrient enrichment, and has initiated a monitoring programme. This includes broad-scale habitat characterisation, as well as fine-scale habitat to collect more detailed baseline information, and sediment monitoring. These monitoring programmes will track changes in habitat over time to inform management of the estuaries.

We have recently reviewed our biodiversity programme and are in the process of implementing recommendations. This work will inform and enhance our existing management programme.

Biosecurity

Here at Horizons we believe you cannot have biodiversity without effective biosecurity. Stopping the spread of pest plants and animals goes hand-in-hand with maintaining and enhancing native habitats and agricultural productivity.

As people settled in New Zealand, they brought with them exotic plants and animals, some of which have led to the loss of indigenous species through predation and competition for resources. To address these pests Horizons has two pest teams – a pest plant team of seven staff, and an animal pest team of 17 staff. These teams are dispersed throughout the region and work closely with our biodiversity team. Much of their work is non-regulatory, however when needed they use tools provided by the Biosecurity Act and the Regional Pest Management Plan that became operational last year.

Biodiversity projects in your district

Ruapehu - Kia Whārite

Since 2008, Horizons, Department of Conservation, Whanganui iwi and private landowners have been working in the private lands and remote forests around Whanganui National Park and the Whanganui River Catchment, to improve land, water and biodiversity health, while enhancing community and economic wellbeing. Described by former Conservation Minister Tim Groser in 2009 as a ‘model for conservation projects’, Kia Whārite (which literally means to work in partnership) is one of the largest projects of its kind in New Zealand in terms of scale and scope.

The Kia Whārite project spans over 180,000 hectares west of Ohakune, and includes a mixture of private land and parts of the Whanganui National Park, the second largest lowland forest in the North Island. This remote area is home to the largest population of Western North Island brown kiwi and plays host to a number of native bird and plant species including, whio (blue duck), kamahi, and northern rata. The Whanganui River itself is culturally significant to iwi and hapū, as well as a major attraction to tourists.

As well as waterway fencing, land management and planting initiatives, the project includes extensive possum control operations undertaken by Horizons on rated land, and DOC on crown land, with over 150,000 hectares now being managed for possums. Goat control is also done on over 40,000 hectares to help protect the kiwi and other birdlife habitat. This work, alongside pest and weed control, protecting bush and wetlands, and monitoring threatened native species, has enabled the release of whio into the Kaiwhakauka Stream. Here, whio are protected on the river through a network of traps managed by Blue Duck Station volunteers to target stoats. Over 85km of trap lines are maintained by Horizons and DOC along the Retaruke and Manganui o te Ao rivers, providing further necessary protection for the endangered species.

Photo: Kia Whārite whio

Whanganui - Bushy Park

Bushy Park Sanctuary is a mature lowland temperate rainforest enclosed by a 4 kilometre predator proof fence, found roughly 8 kilometres from Kai Iwi. This relatively untouched forest provides a picturesque backdrop to the 1900’s character homestead onsite. Bushy Park Trust has worked collaboratively with Horizons and the Department of Conservation to make and keep the reserve predator free.

Bushy Park is home to a wide variety of native birdlife including hihi (stitchbirds) and tieke (saddlebacks), both of which have recently been reintroduced. Other native species include silvereye, grey warbler, fantail, white-faced heron, ruru, kererū, bellbirds, pukeko, kingfishers and approximately 600 North Island robins. Rare native insects such as giraffe weevils, tree weta, glow worms, and huhu beetles also call Bushy Park home. These species are able to flourish due to all predators including possums, rats, stoats, and ferrets being removed and kept out by use of the predator fence and an internal rodent fence, as extra security. Mice are proving more difficult to completely eradicate but are kept to very low numbers.

Unusual in this landscape, Bushy Park’s tall forest canopy consists of predominantly tawa, kahikatea, and puketea with large emergent rata trees. The most impressive of all is the affectionately named ‘Ratanui’ - a majestic 43 metre high, northern rata with a girth exceeding 11 metres. Ratanui is estimated to be between 500 and 1000 years old. Other forest species include nīkau, māhoe, rimu, pukatea, miro and giant mamaku tree ferns and a complete understory of ferns and native seedlings.

Over the last 20 years Bushy Park Sanctuary Trust has undertaken revegetation planting close to the homestead as well as developing a wetland area to increase and improve the habitat diversity. This area incorporates an outdoor amphitheatre type classroom arrangement that looks out on the wetland area to assist with educational activities bringing attendees up close to nature. You can visit for free! It’s a great place for young and old.

Horizons assists the sanctuary through funding and advice on wetland restoration and pest control, and has budgeted to contribute $20,000 in 2018-19.

Photo: Bushy Park boardwalk

Manawatū/Rangitikei - Tōtara Reserve

Nestled in the foothills of the Ruahine Ranges in the Pohangina Valley, just 50 minutes drive from Palmerston North and 35 kilometres from Feilding, is Tōtara Reserve Regional Park. The Reserve is one of the best and most accessible examples of native lowland forest that once covered much of the region.

Covering approximately 350 hectares of native bush and wetlands, predominant trees include tōtara, matai, rimu and kahikatea. The reserve is also home to a number of native birds including kārearea (bush falcon), tui, pīwakawaka (fantail), tauhou (wax eye), ruru (morepork), korimako (bellbird), kōtare (kingfisher), kererū (wood pigeon), tomtit and pōpokatea (whitehead). Evidence of pekapeka (native long tail bats) and large land snails (Powelliphanta marchanti) have recently been found in the reserve.

Powelliphanta snails are one of New Zealand’s most threatened invertebrates and are amongst the largest snails in the world. What’s particularly cool about these snails is that they’re carnivorous and love earthworms, sucking them up the same way we eat spaghetti. Powelliphanta are hunted by rats and possums so protecting these native snails is a wonderful incentive to keep our pest control programme going.

Horizons is responsible for the management of Tōtara Reserve, which includes picnic spots, barbeques, bush walks, swim spots and a fantastic playground. We carry out pest plant and animal control, and also keep a check on bird numbers each year, which show the numbers of tui and grey warbler increased over five years to 2016. Powered and unpowered camping sites are also available for those who favour a longer stay between Labour Weekend and May each year.

We recently installed wētā hotels along the Fern Walk in Tōtara Reserve. This is a trial to see if we can gather useful information on predator numbers within the reserve, to better focus our pest control efforts. Have a look and see if any wētā are home next time you visit.

Photo: wēta hotels in Tōtara Reserve

Tararua - Cape Turnagain

Te Poroporo or Cape Turnagain, with its distinctive geology and unique ecosystems, is one of our region’s most special and unique places. Towering mudstone cliffs rise steeply from the Pacific Ocean to the east, with an active wind-blown dune system to the west. The unique geology, crashing surf, and open ocean create a spectacular coastal environment.

The area is a haven for wildlife. Fur seals haul out on the shore at the eastern point of the site. Pups can sometimes be hidden in the flax while their mothers find food at sea. Shore birds can be seen feeding, roosting and breeding; notable among them are the little blue penguins that nest in the flax.

The area is also home to the small, but distinctive, bright orange and black Notoreas perornata ‘Cape Turnagain’ - a day flying moth, found nowhere else in New Zealand. They can be spotted in flight, or sunning themselves on bare ground or vegetation, with their bright wings folded out. The moths are easily disturbed by movement or shadows, and use their light-grey underwing to camouflage themselves.

A hybrid cross of coastal and common swamp flax is also found here. Interestingly, the seeds often germinate on the parent plant, giving the seed stems a ‘bird of paradise’ look.

Horizons is helping to work toward preserving and enhancing the local environment along with local iwi, landowners, and the wider community. As a funding provider, along with QEII National Trust and the New Zealand Lotteries Commission, we are all are working to protect and restore over 200 hectares of coastal treeland, flaxland, dunelands and cliffs which are legally protected by QEII National Trust covenants.

A targeted project for the next three years will see restoration planting of the sand daphne Pimelea prostrata, the host plant of the Cape Turnagain moth. Horizons will be supporting pest control for possums, rabbits and hares, rats, predators, and goats. Ongoing pampas control will be joined by marram clearing to allow the existing populations of the native sand-binding plants pingao and spinifex to expand.

Photo: Notoreas perornata (credit: NZ Photography Society NZ)

Palmerston North - Te Apiti - Manawatū Gorge

Te Apiti - Manawatū Gorge is easily recognisable by the magnificent ranges sheltering the mighty Manawatū River as its current cuts straight through the middle of the biodiversity haven. Te Apiti, meaning ‘the passage’; was bestowed upon the Gorge by the Rangitaane tribe – representing the divide between the Ruahine and Tararua Ranges.

Although the Gorge road has been closed since April 2017, the wider area of Te Apiti – Manawatū Gorge provides biodiversity, recreational, educational and cultural opportunities. With numerous walking tracks and Te Ara o Mahurangi mountain bike trail, Te Apiti really is an outdoor playground.

Native flora species within the Gorge include giant maidenhair fern, hen and chicken fern, kohia, crown fern, supplejack, gully fern, kawakawa, northern rata, and nīkau to name a few. While native fauna species include forest geckos, skinks, rifleman, shining cuckoo, ruru (morepork), karearea (NZ falcon), and diverse stick insects. In 1947 a credible sighting of the huia bird was made in the area, 40 years after they were declared extinct.

Management of the Manawatū Gorge has been led since 2016 by Te Apiti - Manawatū Gorge Governance Group. This group is a collaboration between Horizons, Department of Conservation, Rangitaane o Manawatu, Rangitaane o Tamaki nui a Rua, Kahungunu ki Tamaki nui a Rua, Palmerston North City Council, Tararua District Council, Manawatū District Council and acommunity representative.

This group supports and funds a range of initiatives such as pest control and oversight of the biodiversity management plan for the area. The Group’s establishment has led to increased levels of internal funding and the project secured more than $200,000 of additional external funding last financial year. Of that, $100,000 went to increasing the level of weed control being undertaken within the project area, including successful efforts to control the pest plant Old Man’s Beard. Horizons contribution to the project this year will continue to build on the success of that work and to contribute to the wider project. Horizons has budgeted $107,760 for 2018-19 towards Te Apiti – Manawatū Gorge.

Photo: shed lizard skin in Gorge

Horowhenua - Manawatū Estuary

The Manawatū River Estuary is a regional taonga made up of sand dunes, mudflats and salt marshes covering 533 hectares near the coastal settlement of Foxton Beach. It is the largest estuary and wader bird feeding ground in the lower North Island and has the most diverse range of birds to be seen in any one place in New Zealand.

Wader birds such as the kōtuku ngutupapa (Royal spoonbill) and matuku hūrepo (Australasian bittern) are regular visitors. Every year during March and October a welcome and farewell to the migrating birds is held by the Manawatū Estuary Trust to give the public a close-up view of species such as the kuaka (godwit) and hauhou (knot) who travel great distances from Alaska and Siberia. There have been over 90 bird species identified in the estuary, which makes it one of the best bird watching spots in the country. There is a viewing platform at 16 Dawick Street, with a bird identification sign for visitors.

The banks of the Manawatū River is the second most extensive whitebait spawning sites in the region. The area was identified by Horizons and has subsequently had restoration and protection work undertaken through the Manawatū River Leaders’ Accord.

Because of its rich and diverse plant and animal life, around 200 hectares of the Manawatū Estuary was designated a Wetland of International Importance in July 2005 under the RAMSAR Convention (a wetland conservation treaty signed by more than 150 countries). Horizons, along with the Manawatū Estuary Trust and Department of Conservation, played a significant role in gaining this recognition.

As biosecurity plays an important role in protecting this unique ecosystem, Horizons provides advice and funding assistance to the Manawatū Estuary Management Team for pest animal and weed control, and environmental education initiatives. The pest animal control is a predator trapping programme focussing on mustelids, in and around Fernbird Flat and undertaken by our Regional Response team. Horizons’ contribution to this project in 2018-19 is budgeted to be $8,000.

Photo: Manawatū Estuary

The state of our environment

Every five years Horizons produces a State of Environment report, providing our community with the most current information about the natural resources in our region. A lot of the content in this edition has come from the biodiversity section of this report. The 2018 edition will be available later this year and will also include state and trend information on our region’s land, air, water as well as a section about climate change.

Online resources

We have a number of resources available on our website that relate to biodiversity, these resources are heavily focused on planting and riparian margin restorations, as riparian planting has a range of benefits including creation of habitat for aquatic life, bees, and birds. Head over to our freshwater page and have a read of the riparian planting guides based on your local ecology, the flowering times of common riparian plants in order to support bee populations, and the community guide to stream restoration.

At the bottom of our land page in the factsheets section, you’ll find a book titled Trees for our Region. This book is an invaluable resource when looking at the types of trees to plant for the right purpose in the right place, and has been collated by our biodiversity experts.

Should you wish to read more in depth, our draft biodiversity operation plan and combined regional pest plan, along with further documents are also available online.

Hotspots to visit in our region

Throughout our region we are lucky to have a diverse range of biodiversity ‘hotspots’.From the magnificent mountains in the Tongariro National Park, to our only Regional Park Tōtara Reserve in the Manawatū. Check out the list below and pop them on your to do list and visit them time and time again.

Ruapehu: Tongariro National Park and Ohinetonga Reserve

Rangitikei: Paengaroa Scenic Reserve, Rangiwahia Scenic Reserve and Mount Stewart Reserve

Whanganui: Bushy Park and Whanganui National Park

Manawatū: Tōtara Reserve Regional Park and Awahuri Forest Kitchener Park

Palmerston North: Te Apiti - Manawatū Gorge, Ahimate Reserve (Waitoetoe Park) and Massey Hill

Tararua: Pukaha Mt Bruce, Ruahine Forest Park and Tararua Forest Park

Horowhenua: Foxton River Loop and Manawatū Estuary

Council meetings

October 2018

Regional Council 9 October, 10am
Environment Committee 9 October, following Regional Council
Strategy and Policy Committee 16 October, 10am
Regional Council 30 October, 10am
Audit, Risk and Investment Committee 30 October, following Regional Council

November 2018

Strategy and Policy Committee 13 November, 10am
Catchment Operations Committee 14 November, 9am
Passenger Transport Committee 2 November, 10am
Regional Council 27 November, 10am
Audit, Risk and Investment Committee 27 November, following Regional Council

December 2018

Regional Transport Committee 4 December, 10.30am
Environment Committee 11 December, 10am
Strategy and Policy Committee 12 December, 9am
Regional Council 18 December, 1pm

Unless otherwise stated meetings are open to the public and will be held at Regional House, 11-15 Victoria Avenue, Palmerston North. Please note all details were correct at time of print. However, for the most up-to-date dates and times for council meetings please check our website.