Protecting Biodiversity On Private Land
BIODIVERSITY STRATEGY FUNDING - PROTECTING BIODIVERSITY
ON PRIVATE LAND
Thursday 8 June 2000
The
Government will spend an extra $37 million on increasing the
funds available to protect and maintain biodiversity on
private land through the Nature Heritage Fund, Nga Whenua
Rahui and the QEII National Trust. This funding is part of
a comprehensive five-year package involving conservation,
environment, fisheries and biosecurity, confirmed in this
year's Budget to support the Government's Biodiversity
Strategy. It links to the strategy's goal to halt the
decline in New Zealand's biodiversity and will also support
the government's strategic goal of protecting and enhancing
the environment.
The project
Increasing the Nature
Heritage Fund (previously the Forest Heritage Fund), Nga
Whenua Rahui and the QEII National Trust will help protect
critically scarce habitats and native species, and will help
improve the representation of the full range of natural
habitats.
The funding will restore the Nature Heritage
Fund and Nga Whenua Rahui to previous levels, replacing
funds that were used to purchase cutting rights at Waitutu
and Lords River in Southland, and then progressively
increase funding levels in later years. The new funding
will also help these two funds deal with an increase in
applications for non-forest ecosystems. The increase will
also allow the QEII National Trust to respond to offers to
covenant high priority areas on private land.
Some of the
new funding has been tagged for improving the condition of
biodiversity on private land. This funding will be used to
focus on maintaining and restoring biodiversity through
ongoing pest and weed management - as opposed to just
achieving legal protection for the land through purchase or
covenant.
In the first year, a suitable administrative
mechanism will be designed, based on the existing funding
bodies, for allocating funding for improving condition on
private land. The Nature Heritage Fund, Nga Whenua Rahui
and local government will need to be involved in this
process.
Under threat
The Nature Heritage Fund and Nga
Whenua Rahui have protected more than 235,000 hectares of
native habitats and ecosystems through acquisitions,
covenants, kawenata or Maori reservations. Much of this
land would have otherwise been logged, cleared or further
browsed. These funds have previously not covered ongoing
work to maintain or enhance the protected areas, which is
where some of this new funding will step in. This proposal
recognises that while some pest control provides little
benefit to individuals, it can provide significant national
value for biodiversity.
The QEII National Trust has
covenanted 60,000 hectares. It works closely with rural
landowners and focuses exclusively on covenanting land where
ownership remains with the landowner.
Actions
The
increased funding means further applications to the Nature
Heritage Fund, Nga Whenua Rahui and QEII National Trust can
be processed. There are 25 key cases covering 56,000
hectares valued at $7.3 million that are priority
purchases.
In year one, criteria will be developed for
funding work to improve the condition of biodiversity on
private land. From year two, funding will be available for
pest management at priority sites.
Community partnerships
The increased funding for Nature Heritage, Nga Whenua Rahui and the QEII National Trust will build on the already successful partnerships that are developing between the funds, Department of Conservation, regional councils, tangata whenua, farmers, other landowners and conservation groups who have worked together to protect special natural areas. The increased funding for ongoing condition management will also encourage closer working relationships with regional councils.
Funding package details
All figures in $m, GST inclusive.
2000/01 2001/02 2002/03 2003/04 2004/05 Total
$2.215 $3.390 $6.655 $10.844 $13.938
$37.042
For further information, please refer to
http://www.biodiv.govt.nz