Stock limitation exemption decision - Carrying cattle - A7467586

For this decision summary:

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

Carrying cattle

Personal to holder

The Commissioner of Crown Lands grants consent to a variation of the exemption to the stock limitation on the lease to allow the leaseholder to carry the following stock:

• 5,100 stock units

The Commissioner has determined that given the nature of the farming operation and based on observations of these leases from the inspection, the Snowdale pastoral lease and adjacent freehold land can support the number of cattle stock units indicated without having a detrimental effect on the land, provided the conditions are complied with.

Consent is granted for variation to the exemption from the stock limitation, subject to the following conditions:

1. That only beef breeding cattle are permitted under this exemption to the stock limitation.
2. That the Snowdale pastoral lease continues to be farmed in conjunction with the Mt Pember pastoral lease and approximately 13,156 ha of freehold land in the Lees Valley, with a further 369 ha of irrigated Class 3 land located at Glen Eyre.
3. Adequate fertiliser is to be applied (where consent to apply fertiliser has previously been granted) to maintain pasturage in a healthy condition without depletion of soils in accordance with the relevant consents.
4. Undeveloped and semi-developed hill country areas are to be managed to preserve soil stability and inherent values, particularly native vegetation such as indigenous forest, shrublands and tussock grasslands.
5. Excessive pugging from cattle is to be avoided.
6. Due care must be exercised and all necessary precautions undertaken to ensure cattle do not damage riparian areas including wetlands and waterways.
7. Cattle must be entirely excluded from the subalpine and alpine zone above the mountain beech tree line (c. 1,350 m). Any cattle that find their way to this zone must be removed as soon as practically possible.
8. Between 1 June and 15 October cattle numbers on the Cunningham Stream flats (see Map 1) may not exceed 10 cattle on these flats at any one time to minimise disturbance to wetland areas. If cattle numbers exceed this number, then they must be mustered out of the area as soon as practically possible.
9. The lessee shall allow the Commissioner or their agent to carry out monitoring of the wetlands located on the Cunningham Stream flats.
10. The lessee shall maintain an annual pest control program on the Snowdale pastoral lease to prevent deer and pig numbers, in particular, from increasing to levels where they are adversely affecting forest, shrubland and wetland values. Records of the number of deer and pigs removed shall be available on request.
11. Separate grazing records must be maintained for Snowdale to an extent that it is possible to verify how it is operating within its stock exemption. Such records are to be provided to LINZ at the end of each financial year.

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