ACPAC Annual Report to June 2019 FINAL.pdf

AOTEA CONSERVATION PARK ADVISORY COMMITTEE
Annual Report to 30 June 2019
Prepared for:
Honourable Eugenie Sage ONZM
Minister of Conservation
Parliament Buildings
Wellington 6160
Prepared by: Kate Waterhouse, Nicola Macdonald and Judy Gilbert on behalf of the Aotea
Conservation Park Advisory Committee.
Membership
Members
Position
Paul Downie
Chair
Roger Burrill**
Community representative
Anthony Christiansen
Community representative
Judy Gilbert
Community representative
Nicola Macdonald
Iwi representative
Catherine Munro
Iwi representative
Liane Ngamane
Iwi representative
Rodney Ngawaka
Iwi representative
Kate Waterhouse
Community representative
Vacant
Iwi representative
*John Wii, iwi replacement committee member who was to replace founding member
Noelene Ngawaka – Forster (passed away 23/8/17) tragically also passed away on 19
November 2018.
**Roger Burrill resigned from the Committee, effective 16th September 2018.
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Mihi
Aotea moutere rongonui
Aotea whakahirahira
Aotea utanga nui
Aotea taonga maha
Aotea te tauranga o ngā waka maha
Aotea te kāinga o Ngāti Rehua – Ngātiwai ki Aotea Ngā kitenga i te pō,
ngā kitenga tauranga me ngā takutai
Teitei ngā maunga me Te Wao-nui o Tāne,
he kāinga oranga mai i te whenua ki te moana Aotea te taonga nui o Te Moana-nui-
o-Toi
Aotea te whenua tūturu me taku tūrangawaewae
Aotea is the sacred island
Aotea the landing place of many waka
Aotea the home of Ngāti Rehua – Ngātiwai ki Aotea From starry nights, to shining
seas and shores
Lofty mountains and forests a land of plenty
Aotea is the jewel of Te Moana-nui-o-Toi
Aotea my home
Aotea my place to stand
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Nicola MacDonald, Ngāti Rehua – Ngātiwai ki Aotea
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AOTEA CONSERVATION PARK ADVISORY COMMITTEE
Dear Minister Sage,
This is the third annual report of the Aotea Conservation Park Advisory committee since it’s
appointment in July 2016, following the formation of the Aotea Conservation Park.
Background
The Aotea Conservation Park covers some 12,282ha, approximately 43% of Aotea Great
Barrier Island. The Department manages more than 16,000ha on Great Barrier, the
remainder being in scenic and other reserve land including Rakitu and the Harataonga
Scenic Reserve.
Aotea is approximately 90 kms north-east of Auckland and has a population of around 1000
permanent residents. As you know, the only mammalian predators are feral cats, ship rats
and kiore. The island is home to at least 75 species of nationally rare and endangered
species such as the endemic chevron skink, national strongholds of pāteke / brown teal and
takoketai / black petrel, important populations of NZ dotterel, banded rail, kākā, kereru and
a number of rare and endemic plants. Other pest animals include rabbits and feral pigs.
Meetings and relationship with the Auckland Conservation Board
Note that the interconnectedness of the island’s ecology is acknowledged by the Auckland
Conservation Board and the Aotea Conservation Park Advisory Committee.  At a first joint
meeting between these two committees in April 2017 it was agreed that whilst outside of
the Terms of Reference for the Aotea Conservation Park Advisory Committee (ACPAC), it is
both sensible and of value for the committee to provide advice to the Department and
Auckland Conservation Board on a holistic basis, inside and outside the Park’s boundaries
because outside influences will also affect the Conservation Park. This was particularly
helpful in relation to the eradication of rats from Rakitu.
There is a standing invitation for the ACPAC Chair to attend meetings of the Auckland
Conservation Board and vice versa. A protocol is in place to share minutes and annual
reports and coordinate meeting times. Two members, Nicola Macdonald and Rodney
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Ngawaka sat on both groups until 2019. There is one joint meeting of the ACB and ACPAC
annually, usually in the first quarter of the calendar year. See below for shared priorities
workshopped at our most recent meeting. ACPAC as a committee met three times since
from June 2018 and for the last time in early 2019 as follows:
Date
Location
11 June 2018
Schoolmasters House, Art Gallery, Claris
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17 September 2018
Schoolmasters House, Art Gallery - Claris
10 December 2018
DOC Offices, Level 7, Bledisloe House, Wellesley St, Auckland

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AOTEA CONSERVATION PARK ADVISORY COMMITTEE
11 February 2019
DOC Offices, Okiwi (NOTE: this was the final meeting of the first Aotea
Conservation Park Advisory Committee and a joint meeting and
workshop with the Auckland Conservation Board)
Overview of key activities and priorities for 2018:
For context, the year will always be remembered as the year rats were eradicated from
Rakitu (see below). While the island is a nature reserve and technically outside the park, the
DOC team on Aotea, Ngati Rehua Ngatiwai ki Aotea, the Local Board and all those
sanctuaries and landowners actively managing pests on Aotea were active in the debate
that dominated the island through the first half of 2018.
Unfortunately the  Rakitu project damaged DOC’s brand on Aotea with some vocal parts of
the community. Combined with other incidents including vandalism of signs and community
pressure, may have contributed to reluctance on the part of DOC staff to engage with the
community in general. While understandable, this will need to be addressed in the
Department’s workplan and resource allocation on the island in 2019 and 2020.
In relation to the Conservation Park, our priorities have been as follows:
1. Hirakimata pest management: we advocated for increased control of cats and rats
and a management plan with related budget support around Hirakimata (Mt
Hobson).  The purpose is to support the ecosystem as a whole (it is a nationally
significant biodiversity site) and to protect the key breeding site of endangered
takoketai / black petrel. The Department co-funded a small pilot of A24 traps as a
low impact rat suppression option in difficult and sensitive terrain, and reintroduced
cat trapping in the petrel breeding season. A larger deployment is planned using
recycled A24s from Auckland Council/Windy Hill’s 24 pilot.
2. Kauri dieback: Track closures and remediation were completed to prevent the
spread of the Kauri dieback from known sites. A summer ambassador programme
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was trialled alongside increased signage and cleaning stations as part of the national
programme.  Pig numbers are an increasing concern to many in the community, but
there is also a small but vocal pig hunting group. While pigs are not confirmed as a
significant vector, the committee agreed appropriate kauri dieback protocols for
hunters and their dogs are needed.
3.
Te Paparahi “Bring back kōkako” led by the late Noelene Ngawaka-Fortzer (former
ACPAC member) and supported by Chair Nicola MacDonald and trustees of the
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Ngati Rehua - Ngatiwai ki Aotea Trust. It includes knock down and ongoing control
of pests across about 3000ha (noting that the CMS Milestone 14.2.3.6 states this
was to be completed end 2017). The Committee is very supportive of this project
but notes the project will require significantly more support, resourcing and

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funding to succeed. Alternative non–toxin options need to be included in feasibility
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  AOTEA CONSERVATION PARK ADVISORY COMMITTEE
and options analysis, given community reactions to the Rakitu eradication. Te
Paparahi is currently free of kauri dieback and we have grave concerns about any
ground based activities in the core kōkako area increasing the risk of dieback there.
4.  The committee continues to be concerned about the declining pāteke numbers on
Great Barrier Island. While the 2018 flock count showed the population stabilised,
we asked for increased cat, rat, pukeko and rabbit control in key pāteke habitats to
continue.  We have not had a satisfactory response from the Pāteke Recovery Group
as to what actions they will take to determine and address the reasons for the
continued decline in the largest source population of the species in NZ.
5.  Input into consents in the park: the committee expressed a preference to provide
the Auckland Conservation Board with feedback on all consents for activities in the
Park or on Aotea. This has been coordinated by the Chair. We noted that there is
ambiguity around the use of drones in the park and erred on the side of caution. A
key concern is the maintenance of the remote and undisturbed qualities of the park,
respect for culturally significant sites.  We also noted the need to ensure that where
possible, consents for activity in the park should be encouraged from local
businesses and those bringing sustainable economic benefit to the island as a result
of the consent being granted.
6.  The committee continued to actively support partnerships between the
Department, mana whenua, Auckland Council, Windy Hill and Glenfern Sanctuaries,
the Great Barrier Local Board and Great Barrier Island Environmental Trust,
landowners and community stakeholders to coordinate and develop projects to
restore and protect biodiversity on Aotea.
7.  The committee supported an initial Great Walk proposal submitted by Destination
Great Barrier but is concerned about the sustainability of a Great Walk on Aotea.
Despite being in such close proximity to New Zealand’s largest urban population and
the largest visitor gateway to New Zealand the Aotea proposal was shortlisted but
unsuccessful.  The comments from the evaluation panel indicated they had
reservations about the visitor experience. There are a number of opportunities to
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improve experiences with more cultural heritage components and alternative
routes and facilities. However the committee and community will need to be
convinced that visitor impacts on the park and “Barrier way of life” are acceptable
to support future proposals.
8.  Budget, resourcing and volunteer capacity: the committee has raised on a number
of occasions the adequacy of resources and funding relative to the CMS objectives
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and area of the Park and wider island under management. We highlighted that with
a permanent population of 1000 with the lowest average income in the Auckland
region, and no subsidised transport, the island lacks community volunteer capacity
available to others to support conservation delivery.
9.  Risks to the park – biosecurity and fire: we applauded the local DOC team’s

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response to a suspected stoat incursion on Aotea in January 2019.  The joint
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response of DOC and Auckland Council was an example of partnership and
collaboration in action.  Incursions of stoats would be a disaster for biodiversity on
Aotea.  The committee requested that the department explore fire risk and
response following input from committee members on the fire risk in the centre the
island due to hakea and other flammable species. Plague skink work has been
ongoing with Auckland Council to reduce the impact of this invasive species on
native lizards. Finally, we have been advocating for an increase in control of dogs in
summer to protect bird life.
Significant work undertaken adjacent to the Aotea Conservation Park
1.  Rakitu eradication: CMS Milestone 14.2.3.4 originally scheduled to be completed
2017 “including the removal of Weka”. The programme was approved by the Chair
(Nicola MacDonald) and trustees of the Ngati Rehua - Ngatiwai ki Aotea Trust and
supported by Kaumaatua and Kuia, notably the late John Wii (former ACPAC
member). ACPAC unanimously supported the eradication and members actively
supported the DOC team through extremely difficult circumstances leading up to the
two drops in the winter of 2018.   Throughout, the committee expressed the clear
view that weka should be removed from Rakitu permanently, as they will delay, or
prevent in some cases, the recovery of seabirds, lizards and invertebrates. Seabird
experts are clear that Rakitu sits in a “seabird highway” and has the potential to
become an important seabird sanctuary as well as home to reintroduced species
such as hihi, tieke, bellbird and whitehead. Prioritising and funding the removal of
weka to allow the intent of the eradication to be fulfilled is of great importance to
the committee and the iwi and community members we represent. We also
emphasised the need to communicate clearly with iwi and the community the post-
eradication restoration plan and successes.

2.  Marine dumping: there has been widespread, united opposition to the ongoing
dumping of dredge spoil at a site just outside the Hauraki Gulf Marine Park
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approximately 25kms east of Aotea. Two legal challenges were mounted against an
EPA decision to grant 5 times the currently permitted volumes over a further 30 year
period. The Department (Auckland office), Auckland Conservation Board, mana
whenua, Local Board and community members all submitted against the consent
being granted. Any future marine protection consultation will need to factor in this
issue.
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Priorities for 2019/2020
The new committee appointed by you in July attended an induction in Auckland on 16
August 2019.  We aim to meet twice before the end of 2019 to establish priorities and build
a platform for our work.

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As we enter a new term as the 3 returning members, we would like to highlight the
alignment between the Department’s long term goals and the work that is needed on
Aotea.  We have summarised some of the most relevant themes in DOC’s goals and
provided you with commentary to inform your thinking below.  We will use this as input into
discussions on the priorities for the next committee – ideally by the end of 2019.

DOC goals
Related targets
Key issues on Aotea
Protect
90% of species
•  Declining Pāteke population
natural
managed
•  Declining black petrels
heritage
•  Long term impact of high rat densities on other species
50% of
•  Very limited DOC pest managed areas (cat focus)
ecosystems pest
•  Key ecosystems eg Mt Young, Te Paparahi, have no
managed
predator control
•  Restoration plan for Rakitu (including weka removal)
Marine reserve
•  Following up on community support for change
network
•  Process for island-generated options for protection
•  Food source, sale of locally caught fish
•  Influence of non-resident rec fishers eg on no take areas
Fresh water
•  Wetland protection
ecosystems
•  Pest fish and marine biosecurity risks
Living treaty
Kaitiakitanga
•  Settlement process
partnership
practiced
•  Co-governance
•  Bring back kōkako (CMS milestone 14.2.3.8)
•  Rakitu restoration
•  Recognition of cultural heritage and stories
Benefits from
90% think
•  DOC outreach projects in populated south of island
nature –
impacts of visitors  •  Visibility of cultural heritage in park and on tracks
social,
are well managed
•  Dogs on beaches – enforcement in summer
cultural,
•  Americas Cup impact
economic
•  Building case for pest free Aotea post-Rakitu
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Visitor
90% exceptional
•  Sustainable destination development
experience
rating
•  America’s Cup impact
Enriched by
•  Value of enhanced biodiversity to island
connection to
•  Sliding baselines – loss of knowledge of abundance
nature
Healthy
Measures and
•  State of Environment Updates for birds, others tbc
functioning
monitoring (not
•  Mountains-to-sea links, including marine
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ecosystems
specified)
•  Climate risks to park and biodiversity
Working with
N/A
•  Agreeing shared short term priorities for Aotea and
others
roadmap to achieve
•  Partnering with Auckland Council, iwi, landowners on

CMS pest free goal
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•  Biosecurity response (kauri dieback, pest species)
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•  Aotea Great Barrier Area Plan (Auckland Council
process, enables biodiversity protection)

Shared priorities with the Auckland Conservation Board
Part of our role is to advise the ACB on matters relating to Aotea and the park. On 11
February 2019 a joint meeting and workshop was held between the board and ACPAC at
Okiwi facilitated by the DOC Partnerships team. There was a remarkable consensus in the
room around the top 3 issues facing the island. They were (in no particular order):
•  A pest free Aotea
•  Resolution of the treaty settlement for Ngati Rehua Ngatiwai ki Aotea
•  Marine protection.
The group urged the department to be braver in tackling these issues. We are looking
forward to working with the Auckland Conservation Board on these and the other priorities.
These include in particular, kauri dieback, biosecurity, visitor strategy and a timeframe for
the review of the Auckland region CMS which covers the park.

We again reiterate our invitation for you to visit Aotea in the near future. There is simply
nowhere like it and we need your support to restore and protect its treasures, both within
and outside the Conservation Park boundaries.

Ngā mihi nui,

Kate Waterhouse, Nicola Macdonald, Judy Gilbert
Founding members
Aotea Conservation Park Advisory Committee
September 2019
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