Discretionary pastoral activity decision - Cultivation - A7316341

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.

Cultivation

Ongoing maintenance

The Commissioner of Crown Lands has determined that the benefits to farming from allowing the lessee to maintain existing cultivation on Little Mt Ida pastoral lease outweigh the desirability of protecting inherent values.  The conditions requiring appropriate management will minimise the potential for adverse effects on inherent values.

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

1. The consent is limited to maintaining existing cultivation within the areas shown outlined in blue on the plans attached.  The areas shown cross-hatched in yellow are to remain uncultivated.
2. Good management practices are to be undertaken to minimise the risk of soil erosion, including the use of minimum tillage and direct drilling techniques where possible, leaving soil bare for as short a period as possible, and avoiding cultivation of dry soil.
3. The areas may be cultivated for the purposes of growing feed or forage for livestock on the property.
4. No area may be under the cultivation regime for more than three consecutive years at any one time before being established to permanent pasture.
5. The areas may be re-cultivated not more frequently than 7-year intervals. During such re-cultivations, the conditions of this consent and any other local and regional authority rules are to be adhered to.
6. Adequate fertiliser is to be applied to maintain a healthy sward without soil depletion. Soil testing is to be undertaken to inform fertiliser requirements and to avoid over-application of nutrients, particularly Phosphorus and Nitrogen.
7. Feed crop species may include raphnobrassica, rape, kale, brassicas, ryecorn, swedes, green feed oats, pasja, and short-term ryegrasses. Permanent pasture species may include timothy, cocksfoot, ryegrass, prairie grass, chicory, clovers, plantain, lucerne and pasture herbs.
8. Only seed certified as being free of weed seeds and impurities is to be sown.
9. Cultivation must be set back a minimum of 5 metres from any waterways and wetlands to provide a grassy buffer for filtering run-off. Set-back width should increase with slope.
10. Good management practises are to be undertaken to avoid excessive pugging. 

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