Shotover reserve to be established

Press, 11 September 1985, Page 23

Shotover reserve to be established

By

OLIVER RIDDELL

in Wellington A 9100 ha reserve will be established in the catchment of the Shotover River near Queenstown, according to the Minister of Lands, Mr Wetere. He said the reserve had historic, landscape and natural values, and comprises most of the 12,600 ha of the former Mount Aurum C'ral run on the Skippers which had been acquired by the Land Settlement Board, mainly for water and soil management. A report bj’ the Ministry of Works’ Water and Soil Division identified the Shotover River as a major source of sediment for the Clutha River. After its acquisition, a Crown land management

plan was prepared and made available for public comment. This plan suggested reserve status for the catchment of the Skippers, Sawyers, Londonderry and Pleasant Creeks, and the northern tributaries of the Stoney Creek. As a result of this process, Mr Wetere said 9100 ha would be set apart as a public reserve to be managed by the Lands and Survey ’ Department. This would add a further dimension to the network of national parks and protected areas in Otago and Southland. The area had representatives of vegetation types in both the Richardson and Shotover ecological districts, and included a wide range of altitudes and a variety of landforms.

It was snow tussock country with beech forest on the southern faces, with Mount Aurum as its dominating feature, and a scenically outstanding landscape, he said. Mount Aurum’s history stemmed from both mining and run-holding days. There were several mining batteries, a dynamo at Dynamo Flat, a dam in Skippers Creek, water races and sluicing areas. There were prospecting and mining licences extant, and Mount Aurum homestead itself was a feature of interest. There were opportunities for tramping, climbing, walking, camping and picnicking. Mr Wetere said a reserve management plan would be prepared for public comment