The Endangered Species Foundation today added to urgent calls, asking the Auckland Council to end sand mining at Pakiri and protect the critically endangered tara iti, New Zealand fairy tern.

“The tara iti lives at Pakiri and there are only 16 breeding pairs left in the world” says Stu Muir, Chair of the Endangered Species Foundation. “This is New Zealand’s rarest endemic bird and its habitat is under grave threat.”

Hearings have recently been held by the Auckland Council to renew the resource consent for sand mining by Kaipara Limited, who want to take another 2 million cubic metres of sand from the beach over the next 20 years.

“We are calling on the Auckland Council to make the right decision and stop sand mining in this area,” says Stu. “The fate of the tara iti is closely linked to the fate of our beaches and all the species that depend on them”.

More than 650 public submissions have opposed the resource consent application from Kaipara Limited, while just four submissions (from Allied Concrete, Bridgeman Concrete, the Aggregate and Quarry Association of New Zealand and McCallum Bros) are in support.

Those who have opposed the application include hundreds of individuals, Te Whanau o Pakiri, Manuhiri Kaitiaki Charitable Trust, the Department of Conservation, the Auckland Conservation Board, Tara Iti Golf Club, Forest & Bird, Save Te Arai, the Mangawhai Harbour Restoration Society, the Surfbreak Protection Society and KASM – Kiwis Against Seabed Mining.

“We believe the council needs to listen to the people and the 650 submissions against this application,” says Stu. “We also need to respect the views and position of Ngātiwai and Ngāti Manuhiri as kaitiaki and mana whenua of this rohe, to protect our moana for all species and future generations”.

Unfortunately, the council’s decision will not be based on how many submissions support or oppose the application. Unless new evidence is presented at the two-week-long resource consent hearing Auckland Council's recommendation will be to approve Kaipara Limited's application, subject to some conditions.

At the hearings held:

• Experts have verified there is a trench, running approximately 4.1km parallel to the Pakiri beach, caused by continuous one location mining undertaken by the current and previous dredge.
• Steve Riddell, Head of Kaipara Ltd (the company applying for continuation of sand mining) advised that with this new awareness of the trench they have ceased all mining in the area until scientific advice confirms the trench has been naturally refilled.
• Evidence has been presented on the mining breaches outside of the consent zone

The sand taken is used on Auckland beaches (Mission Bay, Kohimarama, St Heliers and Herne Bay) and to make concrete for construction and roading industries.

The Endangered Species Foundation identified tara iti, the New Zealand Fairy Tern in its Top Ten Most Endangered Species List. Tara iti is listed as “nationally critical” which is the highest threat ranking for any endangered species. It is New Zealand’s rarest endemic breeding bird with a current population of fewer than 40 birds. Once widespread around North Island coasts, its current breeding sites are Waipu, Mangawhai, Te Arai, Pakiri and Papakanui Spit.

The encroachment of human activity on their nesting grounds is a major threat to these birds. Beach narrowing, due to loss of sand, housing developments and weed invasion, forces the terns to nest closer to the sea, putting their eggs at risk during storms. Introduced predators and human disturbance also threaten nesting sites.

An intensive conservation programme is underway to protect the NZ fairy tern and has successfully increased the population from an all-time low in 1983 of just three or four breeding pairs.

Notes:

The Endangered Species Foundation is a registered charitable organisation supporting high-priority conservation projects that protect Aotearoa’s most vulnerable indigenous species and habitats from extinction. We aim to save the 'rarest of the rare', providing a way for all New Zealanders to get involved and to make a lasting contribution.

There are believed to be over 7,500 species currently endangered in New Zealand. Currently the

Department of Conservation is actively managing around 400 of these species, and of these, only 150 have long-term management plans in place.

What makes us unique:

• Unconditional support - Our support is focused on where the need is most urgent, rather

than on what has the most public appeal.

• Impact oriented - Our funds work at the conservation coalface. We fund projects which

make the greatest difference and which can be sustained into the future

• Professionally managed - We are a professional non-lobby organisation, supported by

acknowledged experts in their fields.

• Independent - As an independent organisation, projects we fund are not susceptible to a

shift in support, we are in it for the long-term.

The Endangered Species Foundation Chair, Stu Muir is an environmentally focused farmer with a well-respected background in riparian and wetland restoration and education. He is coversant in Te Reo Māori, brings a solid matauranga Māori perspective to conservation strategy, and collaborates closely with key national and regional stakeholders including Iwi, DOC, Fish & Game, Forest & Bird, Dairy NZ, and Predator Free NZ.

Video and articles about Stu:

• Steinlager's New Zealand's Finest: Stu Muir
• From willows to whitebait
• TEDx Ruakura

For more information about the Endangered Species Foundation visit: http://www.endangeredspecies.org.nz/

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