Discretionary pastoral activity decision - Cultivation by direct drill - A5167712

For this decision summary:

• LINZ received the application before 17 November 2022
• accordingly, the decision was made under the Crown Pastoral Land Act 1998 excluding the amendments taking effect on 17 November 2022.
   

Cultivation by direct drill

10 years with maintenance rights

The Commissioner of Crown Lands has determined that the benefits to farming from the cultivation are significant. It will allow the Lessee to grow additional stock feed on areas that have previously been developed through oversowing and topdressing. In addition, the quality of the feed should improve and this will have benefits in terms of improved stock health and performance. While there is a significant amount of scrub present, it is mainly low stature matagouri that has been induced by past fertiliser applications, and there is little diversity of vegetation present. We note that the delegate of the Director General of Conservation has advised that this low stature, young age and simple composition of the vegetation community does not meet the criteria for significance. The proposed conditions shall ensure that some of the older and taller matagouri is retained, along with areas on low ridges or swales.

Consent is granted for cultivation by direct drill on the Upper Lake Heron Pastoral Lease, subject to the following conditions:

1. That cultivation is limited to the approved areas as indicated on the map attached to the Notice of Decision.
2. The cultivation technique shall be limited to direct drilling only.
3. This consent to cultivate includes the activities of spraying out the existing cover, direct drilling, sowing seed and fertilising.
4. There shall be no cropping or cultivation within 20m either side of any waterway or wetland.
5. Existing indigenous vegetation located around shallow swales and on small ridges through the area should be retained as much as possible.
6. That the spraying out of pasture will only occur in suitable spraying conditions to prevent damage from spray drift.
7. This consent authorises the planting of ryecorn, turnips, swedes and brassicas as a winter feed crop for up to 2 years at commencement and each renewal cycle, and clovers, cocksfoot, timothy and plantain for the permanent pasture composition.
8. The return cultivation cycle is restricted to not more than once in every 8 years.
9. All machinery brought to the site to carry out any work under this consent should be cleaned of any earth and plant material prior to access.
10. Continued inputs of maintenance fertiliser are applied to extend the effective life of the permanent pasture to reduce the need and frequency for recultivation.
11. The Lessee shall keep records of the areas cultivated annually and provide these records to the Commissioner of Crown Lands or his delegate, upon request, to ensure ongoing compliance with this consent.
12. That all contractors and employees working on Lake Heron Station in relation to this consent are informed of the conditions of this consent prior to carrying out any work.

The Crown Pastoral Land Act 1998 provides that permission to undertake the activity may still be needed under other enactments.