Rakiura Maori Land Trust, Rakiura (Stewart Island) New Zealand.

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Oneki (The Neck) 

Introduction

Settlement History

View of The Neck

The Neck Sections

Initial Report Summary of Findings

Trustees Initial Vision for The Neck

The Neck Owners Positive Feedback

The Vision for Endorsement at 2007 AGM

Consultation Meeting with Neck Owners

Owners Support

Consultation Process With The Neck Beneficial Owners

Stock removed from "The Neck" (Feb 2008)

Photo Points Setup on "The Neck" (Mar 2008)

Pest Eradication Programme on "The Neck" (Aug 2008)

Management Strategy for "The Neck" (Sep 2008)

New boundary Fencing at "The Neck" (Oct 2008)

Funding for Research Project on "The Neck" (Dec 2008)

Possum Eradication a Great Success (Feb 2009)

Photo Points revisited at "The Neck" (March 2009)

Working Bee to Clean Up Rubbish  (Oct 2009)

Introduction

This project relates to the development of a Management Strategy for this area. This project was started in February 2007 and a proposal for the implementation of a Management Strategy will be presented to The Neck beneficial owners at this years 2007 AGM. The Trustees want to ensure that the significance this land has in our history is given the respect it deserves and that steps are taken to ensure its value is recognized and available for future generations.

Graphical not to scale map of The Neck

Settlement History

Archaeological evidence from the low sandy isthmus east of Cow Island indicates its use by Maori for at least 700 years. When, John Boultbee, an early European visitor came to The Neck in 1827 he reported a population of "no more than 20 … living on top of a hill” (Hall-Jones, 1994). In 1836, Captain James Joss and William Anglem each purchased a section of land from chief Tuhawaiki on The Neck’s northern peninsula, and whalers and sealers began to settle there and intermarry with Maori. By 1846 the population had reached 60 (In 1863, the geologist James Hector recorded "16 to 20 houses and a good deal of tilled land” on The Neck (Hall-Jones, 1994). The Neck was reserved for half-caste settlement after the Crown purchased Rakiura in 1864 – with 10 acres granted to each man and 8 acres to each woman (Stewart Island Grants Act 1873). The school was built in 1878 beside what is now a large stand of macrocarpa trees above Schoolhouse Point and by 1879 it had a role of 30. The settlement apparently grew to about 200 people by about 1900, but by 1920 it was virtually deserted (Samson, 1982). From a distance, there is little visible evidence of the former settlement. (Extracted from initial Report by Roger Lough Land Management Consultant).

View of "The Neck" from the air looking into Patersons Inlet

The Neck Sections

Land administered by the Rakiura Maori Land Trust (RMLT) on The Neck is contained in Sections 1 – 10, 12-15, 17, 20 & 21, Block XVI, Patterson Survey District. The are currently around 1200 beneficial owners registered within the Maori Land Court against The Neck blocks of land administered by the Rakiura Maori Land Trust. Information from the Maori Land Court Online service can be gained from the links in the tables below. Remembering this the Maori Land Court Information not Rakiura Maori Land Trust therefore any errors in regard to ownership need to be addressed through the Maori Land Court.

If you want convert your Shares (Acres) to Square Meters use this link: Click to convert Acres to Sq Meters

The following image of The Neck is indicative only of these sections on The Neck and should not be used in any formal way because the accuracy is unknown at this stage.

Initial Report Summary of Findings

This report was a preliminary assessment of management issues based on a one-day inspection, access to existing written material, discussion with Trustees and knowledge of the issues facing other areas of Rakiura.

 Roger noted The Neck has a very long history of occupation but the greatest changes to the flora, fauna and landscape have probably occurred over the last two centuries - with modification by up to 200 residents and the European introduction of animal and plant pests. Current land use is continuing to modify The Neck.

 The main management issues identified during this brief inspection relate to the impacts of:

• Livestock and associated current farming practices on the land, its waters, its native vegetation and its wildlife, habitat.
• Burning of gorse.
• Burning of forest margins.
• The threats posed by animal pests to the survival and regeneration of podocarp/hardwood forest, coastal forest and to native fauna.
• The protection of cultural and historic values.
• Dealing with rubbish and wilding trees.
• A possible contaminated site.

Trustees Initial Vision for the Neck

The Trustees have developed an initial vision for the Neck which is as follows, 

  To proactively manage The Neck for the benefit of all beneficial owners in accordance with the requirements of the Trust Deed.

  To gain the support from the owners for a untied vision for The Neck that is defined and recorded within a Management & Strategy Plan.

  To put the lands where possible into productive use to generate benefits in an equitable way to all owners through sustainable and eco-friendly business development.

  To preserve the historical sites of The Neck.

  To return The Neck to pre-settlement condition.

  Where possible and appropriate provide occupancy.

The Neck Owners provide positive feedback.

The Trustees have received positive feedback at the close of the Survey circulated regarding the development of a Management Strategy for The Neck. The support has been really encouraging for the Trustees and the views from the Survey's will be considered as part of developing a proposal for the Neck Owners to consider at the 2007 AGM in Bluff. To balance the positive position we did receive 3 returns who question the initial summary of findings and have raise concerns about the Trustees right to access the land. In addition a point was made that only Neck owners have the right to decide the future of The Neck something the Trust fully supports and a point that has been made clear in the documentation that has been provided to date. The Neck Owners will be the only ones that vote on The Neck proposal at this years AGM. This is the same process that has been followed in relationship to the Lords River owners over recent years who have made the decisions on Lords River activities. All points of view are valuable and the Trustees will be bringing forward a proposal that hopefully reflects an equitable position for the nearly 1200 owners involved in the Neck sections to consider. We look forward to providing you with an outcome and proposal for consideration in due course. The following is a graph of the results to our Survey questions

Survey Questions were

1. Do you support the vision by the Trustees for The Neck?

2. Do you think we should protect The Neck for future generations?

3. Should the Trustees development a Management Plan to use The Neck in a responsible way?

4. Should all beneficial owners from The Neck be able to share equitably in the benefits of this land?

5. Should the Trustees implement plans to eradicate pests on this land such as feral cats, rats, and possums?

6. Should the Trustees take steps to preserve our urupā and other special sites at The Neck?

7. Would you support eco friendly activities such as nature walks & wildlife experiences to provide a financial benefit to owners and finance this project?

8. Would you like to see greater access to The Neck in a sustainable none damaging way?

9. Would you like to see the Trustees proactively manage The Neck and its available resources?

Vision for Endorsement at the AGM 2007

The Trustees after input from beneficial owners have confirmed the following vision that will be used to develop a Management Strategy that will be used to manage and develop the use of The Neck for the Future.

      To proactively manage The Neck for the benefit of all beneficial owners in accordance with the requirements of the Trust Deed.

       To preserve, respect, and protect the historical sites of The Neck placing special importance on our urupā.

       To put the lands where possible into productive use to fund the vision and generate benefits in an equitable way to all owners through sustainable and eco-friendly business developments.

      To remove animal pests and progress The Neck closer to pre-settlement condition to promote the survival and development of the native flora, fauna and landscape.

      Where possible and appropriate provide occupancy that is eco friendly in presentation and use to the surrounding environment.

The Trustees seek endorsement from the Beneficial Owners of the RMLT Neck Sections on this initiative through the following motion that will be presented at this year’s AGM. 

“That Vision for The Neck as listed above is endorsed by the Beneficial Owners of The Neck sections of RMLT and be used to develop a Management Strategy to govern the future development of the area to achieve the Vision”

Consultative Meeting with Neck Owners

The Trustees held a consultative meeting with owners from "The Neck" on the 16th September 2007 in Trusts offices at Bluff. The meeting provided a further opportunity for owners to express their views, ask questions, and listen to input from other owners. The meeting was very successful and most of the meeting revolved around providing clarification on a variety of issues surrounding this proposed project. Protection and care for our urupā again featured as the main concern as did the presence of stock on "The Neck". There were no new issues brought to the floor and no requests to amend the general direction of the Trusts vision for the area. The final step in this part of the project is the presentation of the vision to the AGM for owners endorsement.

Owners Support

The Trustees vision was put to "The Neck" owners at the 2007 Annual General meeting in Bluff on 30th September 2007. The Owners endorsed the Trustees vision.

Stock Removed From "The Neck" (February 2008)

The Trustees have successfully had stock, such as those above, removed from grazing on the Rakiura Maori Land Trusts land on "The Neck" after a success set of meetings with neighbouring land owners. This is was achieved in February 2008 and is the first major step in slowing and stopping the damage to land before and form of restoration can begin. The Trust will need to continue working with the neighbouring owners to ensure stock don't find their way back on to the Trusts sections. Stock both cattle and sheep have been responsible for a lot of damage to many parts of "The Neck" over a prolonged period of time going back nearly 100 years. However they are still only part of the problems that we face with this project.

 Photo Points Setup on "The Neck" (March 2008)

The Trust has setup a complex series of photo points that start the process of collecting critical information on the progress of moves to restore "The Neck. The Photo points are established based on the quality of the view they provide on the various types of land condition at "the Neck". These cover all types of land including grassland, forest, beach, stock tracks, damaged land, damaged vegetation to mention but a few. The points are pegged, given GPS coordinates to assist with relocation, and given photo frame sizes and bearings to ensure identical photos can be obtained at various timeframes in the future to obtain a full visual record on the progress. This is just one of the tasks that will be essential to completing and monitoring the successful restoration of the land.

Pest Eradication at "The Neck" (August 2008)

The Trustees are in the process of undertaking the first step in the pest eradication programme at "The Neck". This will involve a poisoning programme using bait stations targeted at cats, rats, and opossum. This will be undertaken at the beginning of September 2008. In addition to this initial step the Trustees have setup a joint research group with representatives from the Department of Conservation to look at the options to best address total eradication and maintenance over the longer term. This group is expected to report back during the middle of 2009. This process is being headed by Leon Fife and support by Theona Heaslip as Trustee representatives. 

Management Strategy for "The Neck" (September 2008)

The Trustees have now completed the development of a management strategy, which was adopted by the beneficial owners of "The Neck" sections at the 2008 AGM that will be used to guide the implementation of the vision adopted by "The Neck" owners at the 2007 AGM. The Trustees will now begin the development of the first plan to begin the implementation of the vision. The management strategy effectively provides the policy to guide both Owners and Trustees to ensure everyone is working towards the stay objectives in the same way to get to the same place. Please follow the link below to read the adopted management strategy.

Adopted Management Strategy for "The Neck"

New Boundary Fencing at The Neck (October 2008)

The Trustees have completed the confirmation of the northern boundary between Section 13 and Section 16 (which is not part of the Rakiura Maori Land Trust) through a formal survey. Once we have completed consultation with Section 16 we will erect a stock proof fence between the two sections to prevent stock from wandering on to RMLT administrated land. The stock have in the past been a major cause of the damage that has occurred to the RMLT sections on "The Neck" and given the high cost of restoration it is silly to start restoration until the stock can be successfully controlled from wandering on to our land.

Funding for Research Project on "The Neck" (Dec 2008)

Possum Eradication a Great Success (Feb 2009)

The Trust in conjunction with DoC recently completed RTC (Residual Trap Catch) monitoring on The Neck following our first eradication program. RTC monitoring on the Neck was carried out by DOC staff, the possum contractor and a RMLT trustee over the week of the 26 – 29 January, 2009. The operation was conducted according to the Protocol for Possum Monitoring using the Trap-Catch Method (April 2008). Some amendments to the methodology were made due to the small size of the block. The protocol states that for an area of 500ha or less 10 lines should be used, but this was impractical due to the small area and number of monitors available. Seven lines were run. While the area was not stratified according to vegetation type, six of the lines were in the forest and one line (Number 3) was in grassland.  The results of the monitoring uncovered zero Possum catches meaning we have a near total eradication. This will give The Neck some chance to start recovery while we determine the best way to maintain a long term programme to maintain this situation. This is an extremely pleasing result for the Trust and its beneficial owners. 

Photo Points revisited at "The Neck" (Mar 09)

In March 2008 the Trust setup photo points to monitor the landscape changes that have resulted from the implementation of the vision for "The Neck". 12 months on we have revisited the photo points to take the second round of photos from the established photo points so that we can look at the first run of comparisons since the started the project. Working around "The Neck" the change is very obvious with much better growth and early signs that area is improving with the removal of uncontrolled Stock and Possums. While the early signs are encouraging we still have a long way to go but getting early results helps everyone appreciate what can ultimately be achieved. We hope to have some of the comparative photos on this site for you to see in the coming weeks.

Working Bee to Clean up Rubbish (Oct 09)

The Trust has had a good response from owners to become part of a working bee to help clean up some of the rubbish like that shown above that has been left at "The Neck" over the years. The event was over subscribed and some unfortunately missed out. Those who are heading down will be going over to "The Neck on Friday 2nd October and heading back on Sunday morning 4th October just prior to the AGM. We will give you an update on this site after we have completed the work.

Consultation Process with The Neck beneficial owners.

1. Initiate Project for The Neck.  This was the decision to get this project underway, which was completed in February 2007. (Completed).
2. Complete an initial assessment of Land. The Trust engaged Roger Lough, our existing Land Management advisor who developed the Trust's Land Management Plan for Lords River, to undertake an initial independent assessment of the land. The site visit was completed during the week following Easter 2007. (Completed).
3. Complete Issues Report. Roger completed an initial issues report, which was presented to the Trust in June 2007.(Completed).
4. Complete an initial vision from Trustees. The Trustees developed an initial vision for the Management Plan of The Neck in June 2007.(Completed).
5. Develop Consultation Strategy. The Trustees approved the process in June for a consultation Strategy to progress this matter with beneficial owners. (Completed).
6. Seek Input from Owners. The owners will be requested for their input into the Trustees' vision and desire to have a management plan and strategy for the area during July 2007. (Completed).
7. Review Input from Owners. The owner's input will be reviewed and incorporated into a final management vision to be put to the Owners for approval in conjunction with the 2007 AGM. (Completed).
8. Undertake Consultative Meeting with Owners. The Trust will organize a consultative meeting with Owners to go over feedback and discuss The Neck with Owners in early September 2007.(Completed).
9. Seek Owner's Support. The Trustees to  put forward a proposal for endorsement from the owners in conjunction with the 2007 AGM. (Completed)
10. Develop Implementation Strategy. The Trustees developed a management strategy for the implementation of the vision that was adopted at the 2007 AGM. The Management Strategy was adopted by "The Neck" beneficial owners at the AGM in 2008 and Rakiura.  (Completed)

Survey and Owners Input (Was required by the 6th August 2007 and is now closed)

The following document contains the Survey and input request from owners to have their input into the development of a Management Strategy for The Neck. Click Here for The Neck Survey (Now Closed)

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Copyright © 2007 Rakiura Maori Land Trust
Last modified: 06/30/11