4. Board meetings and inspections
Four full day Board Meetings were held during the reporting period. An informal discussion was held at the meeting in August as there were insufficient members present to form a quorum.
10 August 2005, Waitangi (Chatham Island)
10 November 2005, Waitangi (Chatham Island)
22 February 2006, Waitangi (Chatham Island)
02 May 2005, Waitangi (Chatham Island)
All Board meetings are normally attended by the Wellington Conservator, Allan Ross. At the Board meeting in February, Jeff Flavell (Wellington Community Relations Manager) came to the meeting representing Conservancy. The Board had the pleasure of several other Conservancy staff attending the meeting in May while they were on the Chathams for the annual bird recovery group meetings: Colin Miskelly (TSM), Dave Houston (TSO Chathams), Katrina Spencer, (minute taker for the Board meeting in May) and Shaun O'Connor (RD&I).
Anaru Luke, Kaupapa Atawhai Manager for Wellington Conservancy attended the meeting in November 2005.
Each Board meeting has also been attended by the Chathams Area Manager, Alison Davis and on two occasions the recently appointed Programme Managers for the fauna and threats programmes came to meet Board members and speak of recent work undertaken in the Area. There have also been several invited guests and members of community present at the Board meetings; Hayley Lawrence (Massey PhD student), Phillipa Gardener (Environment Canterbury), Andrew Kuva (CEO Hokotehi Moriori Trust), Sharon Pirika and Liz Tuanui.
Field Inspections
These enable Board members to familiarise themselves with the areas of their jurisdiction. It also enables Board members to look at work completed and in progress by Departmental staff. The Board has conducted one full day field trip in February this financial year. 23 February 2006 - Taia Historic Farm (Reported by Peter Johnson). A Board field trip to Taia on 23 February 2006 with a party of 11 included five Board members and five Department staff. Travel was by 4WD trucks, in fine weather, the dry conditions of a hot summer providing firm ground underfoot and for vehicles, and low levels of water in the wetlands.
Blind Jims was the first stop: part of the western shore of Te Whanga Lagoon, where there is an 8 km length of Unoccupied Crown Land, currently grazed, yet still containing patches of bush plus limestone headlands and lagoon shore habitats. Several years ago the Board had corresponded with LINZ with a view to gaining some protection for this strip, an action that would require agreement from iwi and which could also be delayed by Treaty Claims. The Board, having again raised the topic at its February meeting, had further discussions on-site, with a view to re-instigating further action for an area that has a mixture of recreational, scenic, and conservation qualities.
Chilean guava was observed at a roadside site at the north end of Chatham Island. This South American shrub, Ugni molinae, known also by the common name strawberry myrtle, and by the misleading name 'cranberry' is cultivated for its edible fruits, and though the plant has not gone wild in mainland New Zealand, it certainly has on Chatham Island where it grows well on peaty soils. It shows an ability to compete with native shrubs in heathland communities and also to invade pastures. The party discussed its present and potential weediness, and also community attitudes towards the plant, including its being regarded as a useful source of wild fruits and its value as livestock fodder on undeveloped land.
Ocean Mail Reserve was visited in order to observe three main features. Firstly we walked the track on its western boundary, one which dates from when the boundary fence was erected, and allows an easy 30-minute walk to the lagoon edge. This is one of the few DOC reserves that are relatively accessible on foot, indeed the route continues as a loop that embraces peatland, lagoon margin, then dune country. Board members and DOC staff were of the opinion that the walking route is worth maintaining, especially by keeping it open in the face of dense flax seedling establishment: part of the regeneration after the track was formed but also part of the general recovery of scrub and rushland following a fire of about a decade ago.
Secondly at Ocean Mail Reserve we inspected the dunes close to the north coast, to see dune forest rehabilitation plantings and the vehicle track to the picnic and beach access site. Thirdly, one of the dune-hollows close behind the road was in an interesting condition, being an ephemeral wetland which ponds in wet seasons, especially winter, becomes drier in summer, and at the drought time of our visit had just dried out completely, leaving a knot of freshly dead eels abandoned in the drying mud that had been the last basal remnant of pond.
Photo: Peter Johnson
Driving south to Taia was an opportunity to see the extensive rushlands, fern, and scrub, on peat country that is now no longer grazed, since Taia Station was purchased by the Hokotehi Moriori Trust about two years ago, with involvement of Nga Whenua Rahui and Forest Heritage funding. Completion of the vesting of Taia land with Hokotehi awaits completion of a management plan, a job which DOC will assist with.
Lake Taia was the spot for lunch. Here too we inspected the buildings of the former Taia homestead, including the house which is generally regarded as a valuable asset, yet in need of urgent upkeep, especially for repairs of the leaking roof.
Hikurangi Channel was the final site visited, a place of special significance to Moriori and of interest for us to view it in a closed state, with a low sand bar, occasionally topped by surf swash, separating Te Whanga Lagoon from the sea. The lagoon being at a low level, just right for gathering cockles, we availed ourselves of the opportunity to fill some buckets with sweet kai moana. Cautious, however, of the soft sand in the low outlet channel, we chose not to cross with the vehicles, and ended the day back-tracking back to the airport for home flights for the Pitt Island Board members, and back to Te One for the rest of us.
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