20 May 2009

Funding boost for Wellington conservation projects

Wetlands, dunes, remnant forests and lizards are among the beneficiaries of a $146,719 funding boost for conservation projects on private land in the Wellington region.

Nine projects in the region have received a share of the latest allocation of the contestable Biodiversity Funds, available to landowners, organisations and community groups working on biodiversity projects to protect indigenous biodiversity on private land. The grants were announced this week by the Department of Conservation’s Director General Al Morrison.

“These grants often spur further conservation support and the value of this work on private land cannot be underestimated,” he said.

“Our landscapes and natural heritage underpin our economy and everybody benefits from this sort of investment.”

Recipients in the Wellington region are.-

Wairarapa

TJ Hewitt Trust receives $81,947 to help build a pest-proof fence in the Ponatahi valley, Wairarapa. The fence will help to protect the reptiles and plants on a 1.2ha rock outcrop which is listed as a Critically Under protected area. The presence of four lizard species and dryland shrubland communities make this a high biodiversity value site despite its small size.

A grant of $9327 over three years will enable the QEII National Trust to contribute to weed control on four QEII covenanted blocks, within the Wairarapa plains. The vegetation in these sites includes lowland remnant forests, which are now very rare within the Wairarapa Plains Ecological District. The landowners and the QEII National Trust are contributing to this project, and the long term maintenance of weed control within these sites.

The Java Trust has been allocated $3000 for the Taumata Oxbow Restoration Project in the Wairarapa. It will assist with engaging an ecological consultant to prepare a restoration management plan for a 4 hectare block of lowland forest in the Wairarapa plains. The plan will guide the landowners on the future management of the biodiversity values of this area.

Kapiti-Manawatu

Forest Lakes Camping and Conference Centre, on the Kapiti Coast, receives $15,000 to collate information from recent aquatic and terrestrial surveys, along with further mapping and surveying in order to ascertain an accurate ecological report of the area and provide a management plan to guide the landowners on the future management of this dune lake area.

A $8366 grant for the He Tini Awa Trust will contribute to the fencing costs and planting of a 1.3ha terrestrial buffer on Potts Road Wetland Forest, located 8km north-east of Levin. The 3.5 hectare site is dominated by pukatea and contains at least 10 swamp maire, which is rare in this region. The fence will protect the existing habitat from further stock damage, and also enable over 3000 native plants to be planted, increasing the overall indigenous vegetation and habitat of this site.

The He Tini Awa Trust will also receive $5310 to assist the landowner and Horizons Regional Council to erect 1.2km of fence to protect the acutely-threatened Elliot Wetland, located 2km north of Hukanui in the Manawatu-Wanganui region. The fence will prevent stock damage occurring in the 12 hectare wetland. The council is undertaking on-going pest plant and animal control programmes for the site.

Graham Booth receives $5769 to assist with weed control, planting 1000 natives trees and wetland plants, along with the construction of a fish passage to re-establish native fish in the O Te Pua - Booth's Wetland. The 16ha wetland 2km north of Otaki on the Horowhenua Coast, supports threatened bird species including, dab chicks, along with native fish including eel. The landowner has invested large amounts of time and money which has resulted in major improvements in water levels, vegetation buffering and reduced weed invasion. The proposed works will continue the establishment of a vegetation buffer and control weeds as well as reconnect the wetland with the sea, previously separated from adjacent wetlands and streams by the main trunk railway line. This grant is the third year grant from the Biodiversity Funds to assist the landowners in the long term restoration of this wetland.

A grant of $4500 for the Waiorua Bay Trust, will help to install a 25,000 litre water tank on Kapiti Island for fire-fighting purposes. The trust has been working with the NZ Fire Service on fire prevention and options for controlling future fires on the island. This follows a recent minor fire that could have had significant consequences for biodiversity values on the island.

Wellington City

A grant of $13,500 will help Wellington City Council and partners run training sessions to provide landowners and community groups with the skills and knowledge necessary to develop ecological restoration plans, undertake monitoring programmes and reports. The workshops will include field trips run by ecological restoration experts. The grant is over three years, with minimum of three workshops with different themes being held each year.

In other parts of New Zealand, Biodiversity Funds will help a range of private conservation initiatives ranging from trapping and predator control programmes to protect endangered birds through to fencing to allow the re-growth of native plants,” Al Morrison said.

Applications for the next funding round opened today (Wednesday 20th May).

National media release: http://www.doc.govt.nz/about-doc/news/media-releases/doc-announces-fresh-investment-in-private-kiwi-saver/

ENDS

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