Forest & Bird welcomes Mackenzie outcome

Forest & Bird welcomes the support given by a weekend symposium to finding a collaborative way of balancing competing interests in the Mackenzie Country.

The Future of the Mackenzie Country Symposium in Twizel on Friday and Saturday was attended by 220 people, including local farmers, business people and representatives from local authorities, environmental organisations and government agencies.

“Forest & Bird is very happy with the turnout and the level of engagement at the symposium over the weekend,” said Forest & Bird Conservation Advocate Nicola Vallance.

“We were impressed by the attendance of such a wide range of people, including a large number of concerned locals who made the commitment to attend the symposium,” she added.

A show of hands indicated about half of the people at the symposium were local, including a good number of farmers, despite the decision of Federated Farmers to boycott the event.

The symposium organised by the Environmental Defence Society with Forest & Bird and the International Union for the Conservation of Nature/World Commission on Protected Areas looked at issues related to the environment and economy of the region.

They included threats to rare native animals and plants in the region, irrigation, farming economics, agricultural intensification, tourism, wilding pines and other pests and weeds, and hydro generation.

“It was very heartening to see that people were engaged and prepared to have a robust discussion, while respecting each other’s points of view and learning about the many aspects that make the Mackenzie Country so special,” Ms Vallance said.

Environment Minister Nick Smith encouraged all the participants to start building a collaborative process to balance environmental and economic concerns in the Mackenzie Country, with local people taking the lead.

This was endorsed by the symposium, with local authorities agreeing to look at options for collaboration.

Forest & Bird has been arguing for greater protection of the Mackenzie’s unique wildlife and the magnificent landscape prized by New Zealanders and overseas visitors.

Eight species of threatened birds, rare insects and 68 threatened plant species – 40 percent of the Canterbury region’s endangered flora – are found in the Mackenzie Basin.

ENDS

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