Discretionary pastoral activity decision - Burning - A7100096

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.

Burning

10 years

The Commissioner of Crown Lands has determined that the proposed burning has positive farming benefits, and the conditions will enable any adverse effects on inherent values to be avoided, remedied, or mitigated. The burning will help to remove the slash resulting from the tree felling operations and therefore reduce the risk of it washing off the slopes and into waterways. The burning will also release the nutrients from the wood into the soil and help with increasing fertility levels to facilitate grass growth or the growth of any vegetation that is subsequently planted.

Consent is granted for burning, subject to the following conditions:

1. Consent is granted to burn piles/windrows of slash in the areas as indicated in green on the attached plans, which have been formed as a part of the exotic tree harvesting operation or the associated clear scrub consent.
2. Burning shall only occur after the timber/slash has been put into windrows, and provided the windrows are located within the areas indicated in green on the attached maps.
3. Burning shall only occur between 1 June and 30 October during the term of the consent.
4. No burning is to occur within 20 metres of the Bannock Burn, or within 5 metres of any other waterway or wetland.
5. Burning is only to be carried out when soil conditions are damp and weather conditions are calm to minimise the risk of long-term damage to the soil and reduce the risk of fire spread.
6. The Lessee must hold any necessary burning permits/consents required by the local rural fire authority and any other authority and must meet all requirements imposed by such permits/consents.
7. The Lessee and Farm Manager are responsible for overseeing any burn operation and ongoing monitoring of the burn areas until it is fully extinguished.
8. Any fire that burns outside the area for which consent has been granted, for whatever reason, is to be reported to the Commissioner of Crown Lands or his delegate within 14 days of the burn occurring, supplying full details of the circumstances.
9. The burn areas must be spelled from grazing for a minimum of four (4) months. The exception to this is if oversowing and topdressing takes place within the four-month period in accordance with the Notice of Decision for oversowing and top-dressing A7100093 and grazing is required for the management of the new pasture.
10. Prior to any burning occurring, the lessee and/or farm manager shall notify any landowner within 1km of any area planned to be burned.  This notification should provide at least 24 hours’ notice.
11. The people involved in lighting and controlling the fire shall have prior experience with burning and shall supervise the burn closely throughout the duration of the burn. Furthermore, the burnt area shall be inspected thoroughly following the completion of the burn to ensure the fire is completely extinguished before leaving the area.
12. A helicopter with a monsoon bucket shall be on standby during any burning operation in case of any accidental spread of the fire.
13. If any historic sites are accidentally uncovered in the process of carrying out the proposed activity, earth disturbance work should cease, and the appropriate authorities should be notified.
14. It is the Lessee’s responsibility to ensure that everyone involved with the activities is made aware of all conditions of this consent, and the need to comply with them, prior to undertaking the activities.

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