Forest & Bird was alerted to the investigation by an anonymous letter last month.
Now, five weeks later the Waitaki District Council says the investigation remains ongoing and it cannot provide details of the case.
Conservation biologists say if the allegations are true, the loss of native biodiversity is ‘‘extremely disappointing and saddening’’.
Forest & Bird Otago Southland regional conservation manager Chelsea McGaw said she received a handwritten letter informing the environmental organisation 350ha of native tussock was cleared from a Ramrock Rd station without consent.
A further 100ha was cleared within the council’s skink management area.
There were aspects of the letter that made the anonymous informant appear highly credible, and the council subsequently confirmed an investigation was under way, Mrs McGaw said.
If the alleged amount of clearance was true, it was a ‘‘huge’’ amount of significant habitat destroyed.
‘‘If it’s 350ha to 450ha, whether that’s through complete negligence, or ignorance, or whether it was done on purpose, I would still think that would be something they [the council] would be throwing the book at them over.
‘‘We are in a twin crises, both biodiversity and climate.
‘‘Destruction and clearance of large areas of indigenous vegetation destroys natural habitat and foraging area for invertebrates, lizards and birds, whilst also completely destroying the ability for those areas of native grassland to sequester carbon.
‘‘Native grasslands are important carbon sinks, and their soil also represent a large potential reservoir for storing carbon.’’
A spokeswoman for the council’s regulatory team confirmed the council was investigating the alleged clearance of a large area of indigenous vegetation in the Ramrock Rd area.
‘‘However, as the investigation is still ongoing we are unable to provide further details at this stage.’’
Vegetation clearance rules were covered in the council’s district plan and any non-compliance was dealt with under the Resource Management Act (RMA).
Under the RMA the council had a legal duty to protect indigenous vegetation and habitats ‘‘and we know the biodiversity of our district is important to our residents’’, she said.
Enforcement action could range from warnings through to infringements, abatement notices and in the case of serious non-compliance, prosecution, she said.
‘‘However, we want to work with our landowners and prosecution is a last resort.
‘‘We are currently involved in the prosecution of a property owner and contractor for illegal vegetation clearance in the Livingstone area.
‘‘This prosecution along with the recent 2021 conviction of W.H McAughtrie Farm Limited, shows the WDC takes these matters seriously.’’
University of Otago conservation biologist Dr Jo Monks said there was definitely ‘‘very significant habitat’’ for endangered lizards in the area.
Grand skinks and Otago skinks both lived in the area.
‘‘They’re both nationally endangered species that only occur in Otago and their range is pretty limited,’’ Dr Monks said.
‘‘There are green skinks in the area that are also endangered — and then there’s a whole bunch of other lizards as well.
‘‘There’s kōrero geckos, McCann's skinks, grass skinks, cryptic skinks.
‘‘Illegal clearance of vegetation is one of the key threats to lizards in Otago and other areas in New Zealand.’’
The lizards were all protected under the wildlife act.
Their habitat was protected under the RMA, she said.
‘‘If there are no ramifications for the landowner, that’s highly concerning.’’
University of Otago department of zoology emeritus professor Alison Cree said if the allegations were true ‘‘it would be extremely disappointing and saddening’’.
Department of Conservation (Doc) operations manager David Butt said Doc was not aware of the ‘‘activity or investigation’’.
The Wildlife Act protected most native species and the penalty for killing protected wildlife was a maximum penalty of up to two years' imprisonment or a fine of up to $100,000, he said.
