The Government’s just released Biodiversity Strategy is based on the flawed assumption that continuing Government control of land is the only way to protect our native flora and fauna, according to ACT Conservation Spokesman, Gerry Eckhoff.

Gerry Eckhoff said ACT is committed to ensuring the protection and retention of New Zealand’s bio diversity. However, he said that the flaw in the strategy released today is to assume that the Government is the best protector of the environment when the devastation of Crown owned native forests by pests and weeds tragically proved otherwise.

“We are losing our indigenous forests to weeds and to pests at an alarming rate. Stewardship of most of these forests is the responsibility of Government. Adding more land to the DOC estate, as the strategy proposes, will, in reality, just abandon more land to the failed approach.

“The most alarming idea in the strategy is ‘to further define, allocate and manage property rights in relation to biodiversity including rights of access.’ This clever language tries to hide the Government’s real intention to trample on private property rights.

“The strategy continues to ignore that the record of private property owners, particularly farmers, who are actually leading the fight to protect our native flora and fauna. The release of this strategy signals the time for farmers and private property owners to put together their own strategy to counter the ‘take and forget’ approach to private property of this Government and the previous Government,” said Gerry Eckhoff.

ENDS

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