27
March, 2008 - Projects involving blue penguins,
yellow-eyed penguin, kokako, protection
of coastal seabird habitat, and kowhai and
kanuka forest restoration are just some
of the projects throughout the country which
will benefit from the latest funding round
of the National Biodiversity Funds.
Conservation Minister
Steve Chadwick and Environment Minister
Trevor Mallard today announced that nearly
$2 million will be made available to 83
projects working to protect biodiversity
on private land.
"The grants are
a way for the Labour-led government to acknowledge
and assist councils, and landowners, recognising
the important contribution they are making
to protecting New Zealand’s biodiversity,"
Steve Chadwick said.
"This fund reflects
our government's commitment towards protecting
and conserving our environment and natural
resources for generations to come. It's
also been really successful as a partnership
between central government and private landowners
trying to make a difference on their patch
of land, and it also supports councils and
community groups. Since it started in 2001,
the fund has pumped over $18 million into
biodiversity protections on private land
and has had at least 500 partnerships with
private landowners," Trevor Mallard
said.
The Biodiversity Funds
were established in 2001 to assist landowners
in protecting indigenous biodiversity on
private land. There will be a further funding
round announced in May.
The Ministers acknowledged
that all these projects also involved significant
landowner and community contributions through
voluntary labour and services with further
in-kind and cash contributions to the projects
of $2,368,863, giving a total of over $4
million being spent on biodiversity protection
on private land.
Together with other
partners including councils, landowners
and the QEII Trust, the fund has helped
support over $30 million worth of work in
protecting biodiversity on at least 300,000
hectares of private land in New Zealand.
Regional Allocations:
Northland received $94,901
with eight projects. One of the projects
is the Ross weland and bush protection project,
east of Whangarei which will assist in fencing
off valuable areas of bush and wetland.
Auckland received $196,896
with nine projects. Six of these projects
involve forest protection schemes being
done by community groups on Great Barrier
Island.
Waikato received $285,988
covering five projects. This includes support
for the visionary Maungatautari restoration
project with a grant to assist in the removal
of animal pests.
Tongariro/Taupo received
$27,188 for one project. This is targeted
at weed control over 35ha of willow infestation
in wetland known as Waihaha wetland.
Bay of Plenty received
$34,000 covering two projects. One especially
interesting one is called “growing the kokako
community” and involves working with adjacent
landowners to the Kaharoa Conservation Area.
Protection measures have been so successful
that kokako are spilling out into neighbouring
properties and the project is working with
these landowners on appropriate management
options.
East Coast/Hawkes Bay
received $151,076 for seven projects. One
project involves a partnership with the
community to undertake the restoration of
the Te Wherowhero Lagoon. The project will
see 20,000 plants planted over three years
to support the long term restoration of
the Lagoon and to a self-sustaining ecosystem.
Wanganui received $107,222
covering four projects. One of the projects
is to assist the restoration of privately-owned
dunes on the Taranaki Coast. The nine hectare
area will see over 20,000 plants planted
by volunteers over the next three years
to restore the dunes.
Wellington received
$225,505 for ten projects. One of the projects
is to assist the restoration and protection
of O Te Pua Wetland, just north of Otaki
on the Kapiti Coast. Six of the ten projects
are for Chatham Island projects, which all
have high ecological values and will enable
stock to be excluded from these vulnerable
sites.
Nelson/Marlborough received
$246,115 for twelve projects. One of the
projects is to assist with the restoration
and protection of 16 hectares of wetland
and dry slopes.
Canterbury received
$221,736 for ten projects. One of the projects
involves building a fence of over 700 metres
to protect two hectares of kanuka forest
in North Canterbury.
+ More
Environmental scheme
fosters positive relationships
27 March, 2008 - An
evaluation of the Envirolink scheme was
released today by Pete Hodgson, Minister
of Research, Science and Technology.
The Envirolink scheme
annually distributes $1.6 million to research
organisations to provide regional councils
with advice and support for research on
identified environmental topics and projects.
It was set up following a 2004 evaluation
of New Zealand’s environmental research,
science and technology system, which found
that connections between the science system
and regional councils needed to be improved.
“Environlink is an important
environmental management and local government
scheme, and this evaluation found it is
working well and has ushered in a new era
of positive relationships between councils
and science agencies,” Pete Hodgson said.
“The evaluation found
that since 2005, there have been significant
positive achievements for participants.
The scheme is intended to increase return
on investment from environmental research,
science and technology, by facilitating
uptake by regional councils.”
The scheme aims to support
regional councils in two areas of environmental
management: adapting management tools to
local needs, and translating environmental
science knowledge into practical advice.
“A good example of this
is the advice Horizons Regional Council
sought from AgResearch about future-proofing
farmland. The Whole Farm Plan template that
they developed is part of the council’s
Sustainable Land Use Initiative, which was
developed following the flooding in the
lower North Island in early 2004.
“The overall message
is that Envirolink is successfully achieving
increased local government engagement in
environmental research.”
