Discretionary pastoral activity decision - Maintain cultivation and cropping - A5539277

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.

Maintain cultivation and cropping

For the life of the lease

For the part of the consent that was granted

The Commissioner of Crown Lands has determined that the activity makes the land easier to farm and that there are minimal inherent values remaining in the proposed areas and the conditions above will ensure good management practises are undertaken to protect adjacent waterways, wetlands and Lake Aviemore, to mitigate risks associated with erosion, sediment and nutrient loss, and to prevent the introduction of weeds.

For the part of the consent that was declined

The Commissioner of Crown Lands has determined that this area has inherent values associated with shrublands and is therefore to be specifically excluded from the area consented for maintenance of cultivation and cropping.

Consent is granted in part to maintain cultivation and cropping on Waitangi pastoral lease in the areas outlined in blue on the attached plans 1-3, subject to the following conditions:

1. Cultivation and cropping are declined in the area outlined in red on the plans attached.
2. Maintenance of cultivation and cropping is approved in the areas outlined in blue on the plans attached where those areas are on Crown pastoral lease and subject to the conditions below.
3. The areas shown outlined in blue may be cultivated for the purposes of growing feed or forage for livestock on Waitangi Station.
4. Cultivation is to be set back a minimum of 5m from any waterways and wetlands, noting this is a minimum and the areas adjacent to some waterways may be subject to marginal strips in which case they are administered by the Department of Conservation and not subject to this consent.
5. Cultivation is to be by direct drilling wherever possible and soil is to be bare for as short a period as is practicable, to minimise the risk of erosion.
6. The areas outlined in blue may be feed cropped for up to two consecutive years with rape, turnips or short rotation ryegrass, before being sown into permanent pasture and/or pasture herbs.
7. The areas outlined in blue may be sown into pasture herbs including lucerne, chicory, clovers and/or plantain; or permanent pasture that may include ryegrass, cocksfoot, timothy, chicory, clovers and/or plantain. Permanent pasture must be sown and kept for a minimum of five years before it may be feed cropped again. Any subsequent re-cultivation is subject to the conditions of this consent and any other local and regional authority rules.
8. Adequate fertiliser is to be applied to maintain a healthy sward without soil depletion, and soil testing is to be undertaken to inform fertilizer requirements and to avoid over-application of nutrients, particularly phosphorus and nitrogen.
9. Only seed certified as being free of weed seeds and impurities is to be sown.
10. Good management practices are to be undertaken to avoid excessive pugging that could result in sediment, pathogens and nutrients reaching waterways, wetlands and Lake Aviemore.
11. If the lease is terminated for any reason, then any land that has been cultivated must be properly laid down in good permanent pasture to the Commissioner’s satisfaction.

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

Consent is declined to maintain cultivation and cropping on Waitangi pastoral lease in the area outlined in red on the attached plan.