Ngunguru Spit with Poor Knights Islands in the background

Kate Wilkinson

25 August, 2011

Ngunguru Spit purchase a win for conservation

The Government has purchased Ngunguru Spit in Northland following years of hard work to secure the iconic coastal habitat so it can be preserved for the benefit of all New Zealanders, Conservation Minister Kate Wilkinson announced today.

The Department of Conservation has acquired Ngunguru Spit from Todd Property Group. In a related transaction, Todd Property Group has purchased the defunct Napier Hospital site. The details of the agreements are subject to confidentiality clauses.

“Relatively intact ecologically representative sand spits are very rare. Four separate assessments, undertaken between 1982 and 2004, all ranked Ngunguru as nationally significant and the highest priority for protection in Northland,” Ms Wilkinson says.

“Securing Ngunguru Spit is a great win for conservation and I know the local community has been pushing for this result for some time.

“A lot of people have attempted to negotiate this purchase over many decades and I want to thank the Ngunguru Sandspit Protection Society and Todd Property for their work on this agreement.”

Ms Wilkinson says DOC has no immediate plans for the development of recreational facilities or similar work on the sand spit.

“Ngunguru Spit is home to 15 species of threatened flora and fauna, including brown kiwi and New Zealand dotterel.

“It also has significant cultural values with recorded archaeological sites, including pa sites, terraces, middens and Maori burial/wahi tapu sites.

“The landscape, biodiversity and cultural values are best managed by keeping the area as open space so the community can enjoy it.”

ENDS

© Scoop Media