The Department of Conservation has described the Queenstown Lakes District Council's list of Significant Natural Areas (SNAs) as a "starting point''.
At resumed hearings on the council's proposed district plan (PDP), Ecology technical adviser Brian Rance, of Invercargill, told the hearings panel there was a "huge amount'' of ecological and biological diversity found within the Queenstown Lakes district which was not only characteristic of the area, but was "unique and of national importance''.
Under the proposed district plan, the council has listed 147 SNAs - areas which contain a diverse range of habitats that support indigenous plants and animals, which the council has a responsibility to maintain, recognise and protect.
Mr Rance said it was likely as additional information became available through development proposals, further areas that met the SNA criteria would be identified.
On behalf of the Director-general of Conservation, he told the hearings panel it would be appropriate to include within the plan a comprehensive schedule of "threatened and
at-risk plants'' for the district, which would enable informed decisions to be made under the plan.
"In my opinion the [proposed district plan] includes criteria and processes for selecting SNAs that are appropriate.
"However, I note there are additional factors.
"For example, many invertebrates have specific host plant (feed), habitat or environmental requirements and for many species these requirements are not adequately known.
"While many SNAs are scheduled in the PDP, there will still be examples of areas that have not been assessed or identified as SNAs for a number of reasons.
"For this reason it is important that the PDP provides for the significance of a site to be determined through development proposals so that appropriate rules will apply to activities affecting these values.''
Mr Rance said two examples of significant areas of indigenous vegetation were a dryland terrace of the Clutha River, north of Shortcut Rd at Luggate and Lindsay tarn and associated ephemeral wetlands, beside the Polnoon Burn on Branches Station.
He considered both sites met the criteria but were not included as SNAs.
"Those two sites serve as examples of the incomplete identification and mapping of SNAs ... and a reason why the PDP should provide for protection for additional areas identified through development proposals.''
In legal submissions, Susan Newell, of Christchurch, said the Director-general sought to ensure adequate provision was made to protect areas of significance, even if they had not yet been identified.
"That can be achieved by including provisions ... for identifying SNAs in the course of assessing new development proposals.
"The department's concern is to ensure that as-yet unidentified SNAs are not lost and, in my submission, the requirement to make provision for the protection of areas of significant indigenous vegetation and ... habitats of indigenous fauna applies, whether or not such areas have been formally identified at the time of promulgation of the plan.''
Ms Newell said proposed new provisions provided some assurance SNAs would be identified and consequently protected because the presence of any threatened species would trigger a requirement for restricted discretionary consent.
