In 2005 the Minister of Conservation approved an application by Golden Bay Dolomite Limited (GBD) to a 25-year access right to 5.8 hectares of land, and 2.5 hectares of access road at Mt Burnett.
The access right incorporates the company’s current dolomite quarry and an adjacent scree slope already impacted by the mining operation.

A condition of the quarry access right required Golden Bay Dolomite Limited to prepare, in conjunction with the Department of Conservation, a comprehensive pest plant control plan for the wider Mt Burnett area and to integrate this with a quarry rehabilitation plan.

Brad Myer from Te Ngahere was contracted by Golden Bay Dolomite to prepare a Pest Plant Management Strategy for the area within the GBD Access Arrangement Application, as well as the wider Mt Burnett area owned by the Crown and administered by the DoC. The fringes of the quarry boundary are habitat for several nationally threatened plant and animal species. Department of Conservation scientist, Dr Geoff Rogers has said of Mt Burnett; "no other area in New Zealand is judged to have greater floristic endemism or bio-geographic significance at such a restricted scale."

Invasive exotic plant species are present on the existing quarry site and on adjoining conservation land. These species pose a significant threat to the habitat of the native plants that occur on dolomite.

The aim of plant pest control on Mt Burnett is environmental protection of the ecosystems within the natural range of the endemic and nationally threatened species occurring on Mt Burnett. This will involve maintaining current populations, and the regenerative function of, the endemic flora and fauna species.

The Strategy identifies and defines the critical areas in terms of environmental protection and establishes buffers, maintenance and vector control areas. This process establishes a set of spatial priorities and aims to coordinate the efforts and define the responsibilities of the Department of Conservation and Golden Bay Dolomite in terms of their ongoing pest plant control operations.

Contact Person Director / Branch Manager Brad Myer