6 May 2007
Greens win $8.8 million wetland conservation in Budget 2007
This year’s successful Budget bid for freshwater conservation will do much to enhance the ecological restoration of
three of New Zealand’s foremost wetlands, the Green Party announced today.
Whangamarino Wetland in the Waikato; the Ashburton Lakes and the Upper Rangitata River in inland Canterbury; and the
Waituna Lagoon and Awarua wetland complex in Southland have been selected for new baseline funding of $2 million a year
of operational expenditure and $200,000 of capital expenditure over four years, Greens Conservation Spokeswoman Metiria
Turei says.
“That’s more than 10 times the funding these sites have had to date, and the Department of Conservation is going to be
able to do serious work to protect the high conservation values of these sites, which are under threat.”
All sites are affected by declining water quality from increasing nutrient and sediment inputs into feeder catchments,
and by invasive weeds and animal pests. Once managed, these sites would have the potential for re-introducing locally
extinct brown teal/pateke, and improving the situation of endangered species such as bittern/matuku, fernbird/matata,
southern crested grebe/kamana, and wrybill/ngutuparore.
“A big part of the projects at each site will be to work with the communities in each region, such as iwi, land owners,
regional councils, recreational users, landcare and conservation groups, because issues like water quality need to be
managed at source, and much of this is on surrounding private land,” Mrs Turei says.
Part of the projects would be to improve public access and recreational opportunities at Whangamarino and at the
Southland wetlands, and to better manage recreation such as off-road vehicle use at the Ashburton Lakes to reduce damage
to fragile habitats.
“We are particularly keen on these projects because of the human element – it’s a very good way of raising awareness of
the wide range of values that wetlands provide, at a time when wetlands are still disappearing in New Zealand because of
economic development, despite their being a national priority for conservation.”
Metiria Turei said a very important part of the Budget bid would be that the three sites would operate as test beds for
developing new technologies and methods for wetland conservation that could be applied to other sites around the
country.
“So, there are going to be benefits extending way beyond the initial scope of this initiative, and the Green Party is to
be congratulated for being able to get a strategic area for conservation in New Zealand, and indeed globally, off the
ground.”
“Many of the species that will benefit from enhanced wetland habitats will be wading birds and water birds that fly
cross the equator twice a year to breeding grounds in Siberia and Alaska,” Mrs Turei says.
“There will be spin offs for activities such as bird watching tourism, a wide range of recreational activities for New
Zealanders and visitors from overseas, and for activities such as fishing, whitebaiting and cultural harvest of some
wetland resources. There will be important gains for freshwater quality as well, an issue of growing importance in New
Zealand.’
For more information
Metiria Turei, MP, 04 470 6795, 021 440 701
Fran Tyler, Media Coordinator, 04 470 6679, 021 473 900
NOTE: Fact sheets on each site, and other background information are attached. Photographs of the announcement at Maori
Lake at midday today will be available this afternoon, please call Fran.
<>
Background information
Only 45,600 ha of wetlands remain in New Zealand, which is 9.4 per cent of their original extent. Habitat destruction
for farming and other development has been the main cause of wetland loss. Because of this, a number of wetland species
have become uncommon or endangered.
A statement of national priorities for protection of rare and threatened native biodiversity on private land, published
in April 2007, highlighted wetlands as an ecosystem type that has become uncommon due to human activity.
An independent review of the first five years of the New Zealand Biodiversity Strategy 2000-2020 by Dr Bruce Clarkson
and Dr Wren Green recommended a higher priority to be given to freshwater protection, restoration and sustainable
management; and to make more explicit the need to protect biodiversity and “ecosystem services”, such as water quality,
flood protection, recreational and cultural values, and value for fish and game.
Private interest in wetland conservation in New Zealand is growing. Of $1.7 million granted via the government’s
Biofunds to private conservation projects in 2006-2007, $467,000 was allocated to 53 wetland projects. The figures for
2005-2006 are: of $2.3 million granted, $429,000 was allocated to 38 wetland projects.
ends