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The group which is known as the Lower North Island Hunter Liaison Group (LNIHLG) was formed in response to the Minister's wishes to have better liaison with hunters. It includes representatives from around 12 NZDA branches and hunting clubs (no pig hunting clubs yet) surrounding the Tararuas and Ruahines. We represent around 2000 hunter members within the new local Conservancy - Wellington Hawkes Bay. Organisations involved include: NZDA Wellington, NZDA Hutt Valley, NZDA Manawatu, NZDA Kapiti, NZDA Wairarapa, NZDA Bush, NZDA Ruahine, NZDA Hawkes Bay (Hastings, Napier), Horowhenua Hunting Club, NZDA Porirua, PN Field and Game Doc (Wgtn, Wairarapa, Kapiti, Wanganui and Palmerston North).
Our prime area of focus and frustration has been WARO issues in the Tararuas and threats to the current regime in the Ruahines. Correspondence entered into and the groups terms of Reference are attached as links on this page. Current issues – Apr 2011WARO regime.DOC at the request of the aerial operators, are exploring ways of further opening up the Ruahines. Presently the WARO permits deny them that right prior to 2014 other than through review of the Conservation Management Plan which is around 2 years away at least. Presently DOC can close areas relatively easily but cannot simply open them other than with evidence of unacceptable vegetation harm etc – they acknowledge they do not have the data. Hunters need to let DOC know just how strongly we value the present closure periods and closed areas in the two forest parks. However DOC believe though “consultation” that they can find a way outside of the above parameters to further open up the Ruahines and recently obtained documents (see the attachments) make it clear that they are working down a path to achieve that aim which they have termed a “trial”. Effectively they wish to review things but already have determined the outcome !! Sensing that DOC’s motives were less than honourable we chose not to attend their facilitated meeting with some WARO operators and DOC in February 2011. A move that proved wise given the information gained from documents obtained through an Official Information Request. We instead meet with a helicopter operators representative and the local meat company senior management so as we could have a less formal lower risk meeting. This was held in early March 2011 and provided some increased understanding and useful avenues for further exploration. My personal view is that the limited number of meat companies operating feral deer plants (two for our patch) offers the best hope for a sensible regime as the WARO helicopters can’t hunt unless they have an order from the meat plant i.e.no supply contract = no concession activity. We gave up waiting for information from DOC to allow us to publish “a guide to taking evidence on poaching helicopters” and I wrote one that was in the past few months newsletters. The helicopters will start up again in May so if your in the Ruahines and see them in closed areas then they are poaching – get as many details as possible. Thanks Gordon George Documentation/CorrespondenceAerial Poaching - Reporting Guide March 2011.pdf  |