Discretionary pastoral activity decision - Disturbing soil - A7100098

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.

Disturbing soil

10 years

The Commissioner of Crown Lands has determined that the proposed soil disturbance has positive farming benefits, and the conditions will enable any adverse effects on inherent values to be avoided, remedied or mitigated. Benefits include the removal of pine trees that are causing significant wilding tree spread on the lease, increasing in the amount of grazing available to stock once the pine trees have been cleared, a reduction in the amount of cover for pests on the lease, easier mustering of stock through the lease, and less competition for desirable plants such as pasture grasses or native species.

Consent is granted to disturb soil, subject to the following conditions:

1. The consent is limited to soil disturbance associated with the pine clearance operations in the areas identified on the attached plan. It also allows for the formation of firebreaks to reduce the risk of any burning of windrows or piles of slash from spreading outside the target area.
2. The Lessee shall ensure that the logging management company and/or logging contractor engaged to carry out the work is suitably qualified and experienced to carry out the work to industry best standards.
3. Notwithstanding condition 2, the Lessee is to ensure that any logging contractor responsible for felling the timber and causing soil disturbance locates fuel storage facilities to avoid any possibility of fuel leaking or spilling into waterways and wetlands, and that the logging operation is carried out under accepted good environmental management practices associated with forestry harvesting.
4. Following felling, any timber/slash is to be windrowed where possible, with windrows sited within the areas identified in green on the attached map and located away from any waterways. The burning of these windrows will be subject to the Notice of Decision dealing with burning.
5. No soil disturbance shall occur within 20m of Bannock Burn Creek or any other flowing waterway.
6. Soil disturbance in areas of established pockets of indigenous vegetation and riparian indigenous vegetation should be avoided if possible.
7. Care shall be taken to minimise soil disturbance on steeper slopes to reduce erosion.
8. The lessee shall ensure sediment losses to water are avoided where practicable and that all reasonable steps are taken to minimise the release of sediment to water.
9. The lessee shall ensure that once completed the works do not result in an increased risk of flooding, erosion, scouring, or land instability.
10. Soil disturbance to create firebreaks around piles of slash is permitted within the approved area.
11. If additional soil disturbance is required to create a suitable platform for sowing pasture seed, the disturbance must be kept to the minimum possible.
12. Any disturbed ground should have seed sown and be topdressed as soon as practicable after the disturbance has occurred or be planted in native vegetation. These activities should occur in line with the Notice of Decision for oversowing and top-dressing A7100093 and the Notice of Decision for planting A7100102.
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 soil disturbance is made aware of all conditions of this consent, and the need to comply with them, prior to undertaking the activity.

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