Moawhango Ecological District - Department of Conservation

10 Moawhango Ecological
District - Tussock Country
10.1 INTRODUCTION
The Moawhango district is encircled by the Tongariro volcanoes in the west, by the
North Island axial ranges in the north and east, and by the slump topography of the
Rangitikei district in the south. Moawhango is a highly distinctive montane-subalpine
area of the central North Island, with undulating and plateau topography. It has the
North Island’s most extensive remaining red tussock grasslands, along with mixed
shrublands, forests, wetlands and subalpine herbfields.
People usually associate sweeping tussock landscapes with inland parts of the eastern
South Island, but are unaware that tussocklands were also a major landscape feature
when the early European explorers traversed the central North Island. Less than 10%
of these tussocklands remain today. Moawhango district has the largest areas, and
these are dominated by tall red tussock.
Moawhango Ecological District comprises 139,500 ha, of which about 96,300 ha lie in
Wanganui Conservancy. The district is shown in Fig. 10, along with a description of
land administered by the Department.
10.2 VISION
The tussocklands and their associated native forests, shrublands and
wetlands gain widespread recognition and respect for their special
character and intrinsic values. The tussocklands’ natural character
has improved. Contorta pine, heather, mouse-eared hawkweed and
introduced animals are controlled and land development carefully
managed so natural values and sweeping landscapes are conserved and
not modified further.
10.3 PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION
10.3.1 Topography
A sequence of geological events, some widely separated in time, and unparalleled
elsewhere in New Zealand, produced the present landforms of the district. Greywacke
is the old hard sandstone which forms the adjoining Kaimanawa, Kaweka and Ruahine
Ranges. In this district it was uplifted, eroded, then partly submerged in an ancient sea
which covered the present southern half of the North Island. A shoreline across the
district marks the northern limit of the shallow seas in which soft marine sediments
(limestones, sandstones, mudstones) accumulated. Subsequent uplift of the land
allowed erosion of the softer sediments, exposing the greywacke, mainly in the north.
Greywacke surfaces which were not submerged in this sequence of events may be the
oldest landforms in the North Island.
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87

A view eastwards from above
the Desert Road takes in broad
valleys and low ranges covered
in native tussocks and forest
remnants.
Recent volcanic events to the west and north of the district covered it with layers of
tephra (aerially deposited volcanic material of all sizes from ash to coarse blocks). In
the north there is also pumice from the Taupo eruption of about 180 AD. Pumice
occurs as a layer in the tephra profile or is redeposited as a result of water transport,
in the floors of valleys and basins.
10.3.2 Climate
The district experiences a cool-temperate rain-shadow climate with moderate seasonal
variations. Winds are predominantly from the west, although winds from the northeast
are also important. A rain-shadow effect results from the surrounding mountains,
especially the central volcanoes. The rainfall ranges from around 2000 mm per year in
the mountains, to around 1000mm per year in the lower lying areas. The lowest
recorded rainfall is 890mm at Moawhango village east of Hihitahi. Average summer
temperatures are between 12-14 o C and the winter average is 4 o C. Frosts can occur in
any month. Snow is common but seldom lies for more than a few days except for high
south-facing parts of the New Zealand Defence Force training lands east of Waiouru.
10.3.3 Water
The upper Moawhango River flows across the district into Lake Moawhango which
was created as an artificial lake for power generation as part of the Tongariro Power
Development scheme. Water is also diverted into the lake from the Whangaehu
catchment. Lake water is sent northwards via a tunnel to the Tongariro River in the
Lake Taupo catchment.
The Rangitikei River runs through the district in the east and the headwaters of the
Hautapu River run through the south of the district.
The Ohutu Stream, which flows off and has a high waterfall near its confluence with
the Whakaurekou River, is notable for the total absence of fish. 14
10.3.4 Vegetation Patterns
Much of the district has native vegetation, predominantly tussock grassland resulting
from widespread Polynesian and European burning of the original forests. Today
88 Wanganui Conservancy CMS - April 1997 - Moawhango

Cross Reference
See Appendix 6
Kaimanawa wild horses have
inhabited the Moawhango since
there is a mosaic of forest remnants, surrounded by the largest area of tussock
grasslands in the North Island. Because of cold air inversion and poor drainage, there
are a few sites which have been without trees for millennia. These sites support
unusual habitats for a biogeographically special flora (see below).
The district contains the Conservancy’s highest concentration of threatened and
notable plant species.
10.4 HISTORY
the 1870s.
The Hawkes Bay tribes, Ngati Whiti, Ngati Tama, Hinemanu and Te Upokoiri
penetrated and occupied this country in earlier times. The Tuwharetoa people later
intermarried with them. Tamatea Pokai Whenua visited the area with his son
Kahungunu and left the three kaitiaki there: the lizard on , and the freshwater koura
(crayfish) and the patiki (flounder) in the surrounding streams.
An ancient Maori route around the headwaters of the Rangitikei River and its main
tributaries, the Moawhango and Hautapu Rivers, was used for access between Hawkes
Bay and inland Patea. 3 Prehistoric Maori settlement was concentrated at Te Awarua Pa
situated above the Rangitikei River and at Matuku on the Moawhango River (both in the
Rangitikei district). These kainga were visited by the early missionary explorers
Richard Taylor from Wanganui in 1845 and William Colenso from Hawkes Bay in
1847. 95 With increased European presence, these kainga were abandoned, and the
present site of Moawhango village established in 1868.
In November 1867, Captain Azim Birch travelled the central North Island in search of
land suitable for large scale sheep farming. He arranged a lease with the Maori owners
of the 46,580 hectare Oruamatua-Kaimanawa Block located between the Rangitikei
and Moawhango Rivers. Captain Birch and his brother William brought their first
sheep, some 4,000 merinos, through the Kuripapango Track from Hawkes Bay in
January 1868, and initiated the first European farming in the upper Rangitikei district. 3
The Motukawa Block, on the western side of the Moawhango River was farmed in 1870
by a partnership of Henare Kepa and Robert Thompson. 3
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Wild horses were first recorded in the Kaimanawa mountains in
1876. These are likely to have been descendants of horses which
came into the area with travellers, explorers, settlers, the military
and Maori traders. In the 1870s Sir Donald McLean released sure
footed horses known as the “Comet” breed on the Kaingaroa
Plains and in later years this bloodline was reported in the wild
population. Other horses contributed to the bloodline over the
years. Horses from the mounted rifle cavalry units were released
from Waiouru in 1941, and there have been escapes and releases
from the sheep runs over the years.
During the late 1970s the horse herd was hunted to near extinction, leading to
protection of the remnant herd in 1981, through the Wildlife Act 1953. Subsequently
the herd grew in size to approximately 2000 horses. A plan to reduce the impact of
horses on important ecological values has been prepared 26 . The protection provided
to the horses was lifted in 1996. The current population shows highest genetic
similarity to thoroughbred and thoroughbred cross types of breeds.
89

10.5 VALUES AND THREATS
Cross Reference
See Sec 30.3(xi)
See Sec. 20.1
10.5.1 Background
Much of the district’s natural character is the result of past human disturbance,
especially the extensive tussock grasslands. Setting aside reserves is only part of the
future conservation needs for the region. On-going management will be essential, and
this may include the continuation of grazing in some places. Control of animal threats
and weeds and, possibly, the selective use of fire are other aspects of conservation
management.
10.5.2 Protected Natural Areas Programme
The entire district contains only four areas administered by the Department with
formal protection, and only one of these, Hihitahi Sanctuary, is in Wanganui
Conservancy. The four areas total 7344 ha, representing about 5% of the district’s land
area. Of these four, the northwest corner of Ruahine Forest Park is in Hawkes Bay
Conservancy, and two smaller areas are administered by Tongariro/Taupo
Conservancy.
The New Zealand Defence Force administers 30% of the district, and most of the
remainder is in Maori ownership or owned privately.
Because the areas administered by the Department do not adequately represent the full
range of diversity in the district, a Protected Natural Areas Programme (PNAP) study
was commissioned by the Department in 1992-93. 95
The PNAP report identified nine Recommended Areas for Protection (RAPs) which
represent most of the variety of natural areas remaining. These total some 16,000 ha
which, if formally protected, would result in a little over 16% of the district having a
protected status. Six of the RAPs lie in Wanganui Conservancy and three are in
Hawkes Bay Conservancy.
10.5.3 Ecosystem Diversity
(a) Forest
The present pattern of patches of native forest is the result of fragmentation of the
original forest cover by fires. Some fires occurred before a human presence in the area,
but the extensive conversion of forest to tussock grassland coincided with Polynesian
settlement, and was extended by European farming methods.
There are three broad forest types remaining, namely kaikawaka (or native cedar)
forest, beech forest and podocarp/broad-leaved forest. The patchy distribution
patterns of forest tree species are important in constructing models of past and future
vegetation of the district. Areas of forest on land administered by the New Zealand
Defence Force and the block are among the most important for such studies.
Kaikawaka is well-represented in Hihitahi Sanctuary and the block, with smaller
fragments on other, mostly elevated, plateau surfaces.
Beeches, especially mountain beech, form the most extensive forests and are generally
regenerating. Beech is spreading outwards from forest margins and into some
90 Wanganui Conservancy CMS - April 1997 - Moawhango

kaikawaka and podocarp/broad-leaved forest.
The dominant species of podocarp on a given site depends on many factors, including
the history of site disturbance. Pink pine, Hall’s totara and mountain toatoa are
common at high altitudes, often mixed with kaikawaka or beeches. The north-west
part of Ruahine Forest Park and adjoining Maori land towards contain good
examples. Places with more fertile soils and a milder climate have kahikatea, rimu,
totara and matai. has extensive and intact examples on its lower slopes.
Forest areas provide habitat for a number of common forest bird species such as
tomtit, fantail, grey warbler, whitehead and bellbird along with uncommon species
such as falcon, kaka, and kiwi.
High numbers of deer and possums in the past have significantly altered the
composition of the forests of Hihitahi Forest Sanctuary. The higher altitude
component of this forest has been under considerable stress with up to 50% of the
dominant emergents, kaikawaka and totara, dead or dying with little regeneration.
Recent evidence suggests that significant possum damage to kaikawaka is occurring
and may have been a factor in the past. Beneath the emergents, a fragmented canopy
occurs over a dense understorey of horopito and other unpalatable plants.
The extensive beech forests of the district are themselves probably little affected by
introduced animals, though palatable components of the understorey will have been
removed and sometimes replaced by less palatable species. A red-flowered mistletoe,
which was probably widespread in the past, has been reduced to a few sites because of
possum browsing.
(b) Shrublands
Areas of tussock grassland, which are protected from periodic fire, eventually revert to
forest through stages of regenerating shrubs. Most tussock grasslands would give way
to native shrublands within 30-65 years, in the absence of fire. Monoao, a native heath,
is the prominent colonising shrub in the northern half of the district, to be replaced by
a related shrub, inaka, in the southern half. Other native heaths and small-leaved
species of Hebe, Coprosma, Pittosporum and other shrubs are common, and manuka
is locally dominant on slopes where cold air can flow away, such as parts of the New
Zealand Defence Force training lands east of Waiouru.
Wet sites occasionally have bog pine or, at lower altitudes, the shrub daisy, Olearia
virgata. The latter is prominent in the small parts of Kutaroa and Otahupitara
Swamps (RAP 9) 95 (called "Irirangi Swamp" in the Moawhango PNAP report) which
have escaped fire for several decades.
Among the unusual shrubs of cliff habitats are the grey-leaved Hebe colensoi which is
endemic to this district and inland Hawke’s Bay. A sprawling shrub with grey furry
leaves, Pimelea aridula is confined to four widely separated sites in the North Island,
one being a small part of the New Zealand Defence Force Military Training Area.
Small passerine birds such as silvereye, fantail and introduced finches inhabit
shrublands. Fernbirds are very local, and other species such as bellbird use shrublands
seasonally.
(c) Tussock grasslands
Above all else, it is the tussock grasslands which define the character of Moawhango
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The Makirikiri Tarns are part of
the botanically rich wetlands of
the Moawhango Plateau.
Cross Reference
See Sec 10.5.6
Ecological district. Tall red tussock is the most prominent species on previously burnt
sites with moderate to good drainage and deep soils. Shorter stature silver tussock
thrives on high fertility sites, and hard tussock is most common on cold arid sites, such
as pumice or gravel in valley floors. Cushions of bristle tussock colonise sandy areas.
Tussock-forming sedges occur in wetter sites, especially Schoenus pauciflorus which
grows with red tussock on wetland edges, and the large Carex secta grows with
harakeke in some of the lower altitude wetlands.
To keep tussocks over much of the district, periodic fires will be required. Heather,
Pinus contorta, and mouse-eared hawkweed are potentially serious invaders of
tussock grasslands. Recurrent fires and browsing mammals aid the establishment and
spread of such weeds. If decisions are made to maintain tussock landscapes, there will
be an ongoing need for weed control.
Common skink and common gecko seem to be widespread in stony places in tussock
grasslands. New Zealand pipits and harriers are common and falcons are often seen.
Falcons nest on cliffs in the region’s river gorges and a mixed colony of black and little
shags is known on cliffs of the upper Moawhango River. Introduced passerines are
common, and include finches, hedgesparrow and skylark. Banded dotterels breed in
several remote open areas. A nesting colony of black-backed gulls is on .
Grazing by farm stock and feral horses has been a major factor in modifying the
grasslands since the 1880s, though intermittent burning has also affected them.
Tussock grasslands have been modified from tall tussock to short tussock, particularly
on sheltered basin floors and warm plateaux favoured by stock. Several species may
have largely disappeared including the palatable and once widespread blue wheat
grass which disappeared early from tussock grasslands with the arrival of stock.
(d) Wetlands
Broad valley floors, ridge crests and elevated plateaux are often places where water
lies. The water may be ephemeral, as in the , or permanent, in which case peat
accumulates. The accumulation of tephra or pumice has often accentuated the effects
of flat terrain and produced some large wetlands. Among the notable ones still in a
relatively natural state are the Moawhango headwaters above gorge, the eastern
surfaces.
92 Wanganui Conservancy CMS - April 1997 - Moawhango
Ngamatea Swamp, the Kutaroa and Otahupitara
Swamps 70 southwest of Waiouru and, on the
Mangaohane Plateau, the Reporoa Bog and Makirikiri
Tarns, all of which are recommended areas for
protection 95 (RAPs).
Wetlands such as these are some of the oldest non-
forested places in the district, and they are botanically
very important for having a number of open country
native plants which are unknown elsewhere in the North
Island. 27,95 These species give support to the views
expressed above about the presence of ancient land
Paradise shelduck, pied stilt, black shag and little shag are typical wetland species of
this district. More localised are banded dotterel, blue duck, and fernbird. Information
on native fish in this area is scarce.
Of all habitats in the district, wetlands are probably the most vulnerable to damage

from domestic stock and wild animals. As a source of water and, sometimes, highly
nutritious plants, wetlands are often a focus for animals resulting in both severe
grazing and pugging. Wetlands are lost through drainage for pasture improvement.
10.5.4 Water
The Moawhango River above Lake Moawhango is unmodified and has high natural
values, although the movement of fish from the lower river is prevented by the
Moawhango dam. The Rangitikei River is protected by a National Water Conservation
Order (1993) above the Mangarere Bridge. The Hautapu River is protected by a Local
Water Conservation Order (1990) above its confluence with the Oraukura Stream.
The flow of the Moawhango River above the dam is diverted to the Tongariro River as
part of the Tongariro Power Development Scheme. This has resulted in very low river
flows below the dam, substantially reducing the river’s aquatic habitat, fisheries, and
wild and scenic values.
10.5.5 Landscape
Tussock grasslands are part of the cultural identity of many New Zealanders, to whom
they are parts of primeval New Zealand. The district’s tussock grasslands are largely
the result of repeated fires. If protected from fire, native shrubs and eventually forest
will take their place. Ploughing and re-sowing of pasture plants has been a major cause
of the recent decline in the extent of tussocklands in the district. About 87% of North
Island's tussock grasslands lie in the Moawhango district 95 . Beyond the district, many
tussock grasslands were lost to exotic forestry, and this is now a potentially serious
threat to landscapes in the Moawhango district. The spread of wilding pines is one
extension of this threat. Heather, which has already obliterated most of the low
altitude tussock landscapes in Tongariro National Park, is a relatively new arrival in the
western parts of the Moawhango district.
It is no accident that some of the best remaining tussock grasslands are where stock
numbers are low or absent, for example the New Zealand Defence Force Military
Training Area at Waiouru and the block on the Mangaohane Plateau.
Protection of tussocklands, the most distinctive landscape feature of the Moawhango
district, will not be easy to achieve. Formal protection of such areas has its part, but the
tussock landscape as a whole can only survive with a commitment of landowners to a
sustainable management regime, which will need to include the deliberate use of fire.
In stressing the values of tussock landscapes, it should be remembered that the
district’s other landscapes include some of the Conservancy’s most dramatic
landforms. These include the rugged greywacke gorges, sandstone and limestone
plateaux, scarps and river cliffs, and broad tussock basins traversed by meandering
rivers. The scattered native forest remnants of the district are of great visual
importance as they give a scale to the landforms, and they punctuate not only the
tussock grasslands but also the areas converted to pasture.
The low incidence of artificial structures in the district adds to the sweeping,
uncluttered nature of the district’s landscapes. The existing buildings, fences, and
roads are mostly unobtrusive, although a clutter of small buildings, visible from State
Highway No.1 between Waiouru and Hihitahi, the Moawhango dam, and high voltage
transmission lines are exceptions. Future developments need to be sympathetic to
landscape quality.
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Cross Reference
See Appendix 6
Small-scaled skinks occur in
rocky areas in farmlands of the
Upper Rangitikei River.
10.5.6 Plants at Risk
Moawhango district has 18 species featuring in the national list of threatened, rare and
local plants. Of the various habitats described above, it is the wetlands, including
ephemeral wetlands, which have the highest concentrations of species in this list.
A wetland herb, Logania depressa, is considered nationally extinct as it has not been
seen since William Colenso found it in 1847. The district’s plants which are ranked as
the most threatened nationally are also wetland species. They are a bidibid, , and a
grass . The bidibid has its only New Zealand location in the Makirikiri basin on the
Mangaohane Plateau. It seems to be most threatened by the spread of the introduced
Hieracium. Amphibromus occurs in one tarn on land administered by the New
Zealand Defence Force where it is subject to feral horse damage. Likewise, a tussock
grass, Deschampsia caespitosa, recorded from three locations in the district, may
have been eliminated by horse and stock grazing. Basins in the Moawhango River
headwaters are an important site for a number of small herbs. They include two
threatened species of forget-me-nots (Myosotis) and a small buttercup Ranunculus
recens. Another buttercup, Ranunculus ternatifolius, is recorded from the Reporoa
Bog on the Mangaohane Plateau, one of only two North Island sites for the species.
This plateau is also the highest altitude site for the tree Pittosporum turneri, a central
North Island endemic species.
The Kutaroa and Otahupitara wetlands, southwest of Waiouru have a number of
uncommon wetland plants, including what is probably the largest New Zealand
population of an un-named Prasophyllum orchid. 70
The mistletoe Peraxilla tetrapetala is known from a small area of mountain beech
forest on land administered by the New Zealand Defence Force. It is likely this species
has been severely depleted by possum browsing.
10.5.7 Wildlife at Risk
Kiwi, blue duck, falcon, banded dotterel, fernbird, harrier and kaka are threatened bird
species that occur in the district. Kiwi have been recorded in the Hihitahi Sanctuary,
and there are unconfirmed reports from the north-west Ruahine Range, just south of
the Conservancy boundary.
Blue duck have been recorded in the Otokoro Stream and adjoining parts of the
Moawhango River and also in the Mangatera Stream and tributaries. Basins of the
Upper Moawhango River and Ngamatea East swamp are nesting habitats for banded
dotterel. New Zealand falcon are seen widely and kaka have been reported from a
number of localities. Fernbird are known from shrublands on Kutaroa swamp and
near the .
94 Wanganui Conservancy CMS - April 1997 - Moawhango
One of the Conservancy's most threatened
lizards is found in this district. Until recently,
small-scaled skink were known from only 11
sites in the district and on Motutaiko Island on
Lake Taupo. Recent surveys have increased our
knowledge of the distribution and range of the
species through to the Upper Mohaka
catchment, east of Taupo.
In the Moawhango District, small-scaled skink
occur predominantly on eroding river terraces

Cross Reference
See Sec. 37.4
and exposed rock slides in developed pasture. A conservation strategy has been
prepared for the protection of this species 46 . The key elements of this strategy include:
• the survey of potential areas of habitat identified by Whitaker (1993)
• the monitoring of selected populations
• the assessment of impacts resulting from grazing and predators.
Powelliphanta marchanti, a nationally rare large land snail, is known from the
Mangaohane Plateau and the Rangitikei River headwaters.
10.5.8 Historic Places
No historic places are known on land administered by the Department within this
district.
10.5.9 Recreation
Hihitahi Forest Sanctuary is used mainly for recreational hunting. It is one of the few
areas in the Conservancy with red deer and is popular during the 'roar' hunting
season. Tramping clubs also use the area for day trips. A track provides access into
the sanctuary from State Highway No.1 and a basic hut offers shelter. Recreational
hunters sometimes request permission to fly into the area by helicopter, especially
during the 'roar'. Aerial access would encourage recreational hunting and is unlikely to
have a significant impact on other users.
The Military Training Area is a significant area of backcountry with potential for
recreation. Use of the area, however, is restricted by the Defence Act 1990. The
Department runs trips into the area as part of its summer nature programme to view
the tussocklands and Kaimanawa wild horses. These trips assist, to some degree, in
opening the area to the public and enhancing public understanding of the need to
manage the horse population.
The Rangitikei portion of the Inland Patea Heritage Trail passes through the district.
The trail, linking Taihape with Hastings, highlights places of scenic and historic
significance on the touring route.
10.5.10 Commercial (Non-Recreation) Activity
There are no known commercial activities on land administered by the Department in
this district.
10.5.11 Public Awareness
Because much of the district’s native vegetation is in private or Maori ownership,
public awareness will target protection of important sites. In particular, the PNAP
survey of the district showed the desirability of protecting the Kutaroa and
Otahupitara Swamp and the block in the north-west corner of the Ruahine Ranges.
Public support for programmes to combat infestations of heather and Pinus contorta
will be important for the success of control efforts in the district.
Public awareness will aim to increase understanding of the damage the wild horses do
to the fragile environment they live in, and to gain support for the herd management
plan.
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10.6 CHECKLIST OF KEY ISSUES
• Need for formal protection of land with high natural values.
• Continuing losses and degradation of tussock grasslands, wetlands and forest
remnants.
• Need for protection and future management of the block.
• Improve consultation with Tangata Whenua.
• Degradation of small-scaled skink habitat in farmlands.
• Impacts of military training activities and protection of tussocklands.
• Threats to the continued survival of many nationally threatened plants and
biogeographically special plants.
• Conflicts between nature/landscape conservation and the protection of wild
horses.
• Management of the wild horse herd, and public awareness of the issues involved.
• Weed invasion, especially heather, Pinus contorta, mouse-eared hawkweed.
• Promotion of the use of volunteers for weed control.
• Fire management to maintain ecosystem naturalness.
• The use of aerial access for recreational hunting in the Hihitahi Sanctuary.
• Retaining high natural values of waterbodies.
• Impacts of low flows in the Moawhango River.
• Management of possum and deer threat to ensure continuance of Kaikawaka and
Hall's totara forest.
10.7 MANAGEMENT OBJECTIVES
10.7.1 Land Management
Legal Protection of Land
(i) To seek as a priority, the protection of significant natural areas in the
tussocklands as identified in the PNAP report and other natural resource
inventories, primarily through:
96 Wanganui Conservancy CMS - April 1997 - Moawhango
• working with landowners to achieve legal and physical protection of
the six areas recommended for protection by the Moawhango PNAP
• working with the New Zealand Defence Force to protect four RAPs
located within the military training area
• advocating the protection of natural areas in regional and district plans
and on resource consent applications
• increasing public awareness of and support for protection of areas
identified through PNAP.

(ii) To promote protection of the natural values of the block
by encouraging the multiple owners to protect this area to maintain its
natural character.
(iii) To seek as a priority the protection of wetlands, particularly Kutaroa and
Otahupitara Swamps, which are in their natural state.
10.7.2 Kaupapa Atawhai
Swamps
(i) To work with Tangata Whenua so that they are informed about the natural
and historic values that exist on their land by:
• exchange of information that relates to the special natural values of
land such as the block and Kutaroa and Otahupitara
• raising the awareness of Maori land owners of the natural values of
their land
• promoting the importance of co-operation which would enable
resources to be used in a sustainable way
• encouraging the preservation and protection of nominated sites which
have cultural significance
• encouraging hui which promote the cultural integrity of landscapes.
10.7.3 Landscape
(i) Promote retention of the district’s extensive natural character and
landscapes, particularly the tussockland and , by working with
landowners and local authorities to ensure that land uses are sustainable
and sensitive to the special character of the district.
10.7.4 Native Species Protection
(i) Implement the Conservation Strategy for small-scaled skink through:
• surveying potential areas of habitat of the species
• monitoring selected populations
• assessing the impacts of grazing and predators on the species.
(ii) Seek protection, in conjunction with the New Zealand Defence Force, of
the unique assemblage of nationally threatened and biogeographically
special plants in the Moawhango headwaters through:
• ongoing monitoring to determine changes in status and nature of
threats
• control of invasive weed species, especially Pinus contorta, mouse
eared hawkweed and heather, including seed sources in adjoining
districts
• reducing the impact of wild horses at key sites.
(iii) Where necessary and practicable, control animal threats and predators of
native species in accordance with national or local species recovery plans.
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10.7.5 Threats
(i) To advocate the control of weeds, especially heather, mouse-eared
hawkweed and Pinus contorta, in areas of high ecological value.
(ii) Encourage public involvement in weed control programmes.
(iii) To control the possum population in Hihitahi Sanctuary to a level that does
not impact on the survival of remaining kaikawaka and Hall's totara.
(iv) Monitor the deer population density and impact in Hihitahi Sanctuary and
98 Wanganui Conservancy CMS - April 1997 - Moawhango
introduce control measures if required to maintain regeneration and
survival of key forest elements.
10.7.6 Wild Horses
(i) Manage the wild horse population in terms of the Kaimanawa Wild Horse
Plan 26 to protect important landscape,ecological and botanical values
through:
• the removal of horses from priority areas, such as the Ngawakaakauae
sector identified in the plan
• support of a viable horse population in areas of low ecological value
• monitoring ‘at risk’ values to assist in determining future management
• public awareness of the issues involved.
(ii) Maintain a low risk to State Highway No.1 traffic by the continued
reduction of horse numbers close to the highway.
10.7.7 Fire
(i) Consult with affected parties and develop protocols and methods for the
use of fire as a management tool in tussock grasslands.
10.7.8 Recreation
(i) Subject to the preservation of natural and historic resources of the area,
recreational opportunities will be enhanced through:
• managing recreational hunting and tramping opportunities in Hihitahi
Sanctuary
• allowing aerial access for recreational hunters to designated landing
sites (Zeke’s Hut and Tar Paper Hut) in Hihitahi Sanctuary, including
the issuing of commercial helicopter transport concessions
• liaising with the New Zealand Defence Force to encourage continued
controlled public access to the land it administers, while recognising
that the Defence Act 1990 restricts public access
• advocating protection of open spaces and other scenic values along the
Inland Patea Heritage Trail, the Rangitikei River and elsewhere in the
district.

10.7.9 Freshwater
(i) Promote the maintenance of the high natural values of the district’s
waterbodies.
(ii) Promote protection of the instream values of the Moawhango River
through river flows which safeguard life supporting capacity of the river.
(iii) Advocate the ongoing protection of the Rangitikei River and its upper
tributaries.
(iv) Priority will be given to maintaining natural vegetation cover in the
catchments of this district.
(v) Achieve greater protection for wetlands identified as RAPs in the
Moawhango PNAP report.
10.7.10 Cross Boundary Issues
(i) To liaise with adjacent conservancies on cross-boundary issues such as
fire control, wild horse management, Pinus contorta control and natural
area protection.
Wanganui Conservancy CMS - April 1997 - Moawhango
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