Features
The Flat Top Hill Conservation Area consists of 813 hectares purchased by the Department of Conservation in 1992. Situated behind Butchers Dam, it encompasses the northern end of Flat Top Hill running north to south, bounded by Lake Roxburgh in the east and Butchers Creek and State Highway 8 in the west. Flat Top Hill is a miniature block mountain, at the foot of the Old Man Range (Kopuwai).
A dry land ecosystem, Flat Top Hill supports a diverse range of animal and plant life, including examples of regenerating native plant species that previously covered much of the lowland valleys of Central Otago. Dry land ecosystems are one of New Zealand's most threatened ecosystems. Flat Top Hill is important for observation, recording and management of such ecosystems.
The area also includes some interesting historical evidence of European and Chinese settlement.