DairyNZ welcomes the PCE’s Taonga of an island nation: Saving New Zealand’s birds.
DairyNZ mirrors the comments of the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment, Jan Wright, that we all “want to see
the restoration of abundant, resilient, and diverse birdlife on the New Zealand mainland“.
Declining native bird numbers is a serious situation, and DairyNZ is pleased the Parliamentary Commissioner for the
Environment recognises that the environmental work dairy farmers are carrying out on their farms is helping birds.
This on-farm environmental work includes improving water quality in rural areas through fencing waterways and riparian
planting, which is leading to the increase in many areas of the natural gateways our native bird species need to thrive.
Tim Mackle, DairyNZ CEO says “it’s positive to see that the contribution of dairy farmers, alongside the wider
agricultural sector, is recognised by the report. Farmers have placed 4000 covenants into the Queen Elizabeth II trust,
which sees land fenced off and often planted in native species, creating important habitats for native flora and fauna”.
The Sustainable Dairy Water Accord Year 3 report, released on May 15, also reflects 26,197km of dairy farm waterways are
now fenced off, and generally, farmers plant out the margin between the fencing and the water with native species, such
as manuka, flaxes and sedges, which help to further protect the waterway and surrounding habitat, encouraging native
birdlife.
Dr Mackle adds “Controlling pests needs to be a continued focus for all landowners, as the damage to native wildlife by
pests such as opossums, stoats, and rats can is significant. Dairy farmers, via their milk solids levy contribute $28.6
million per annum to opossum control via the TB-Free control programme, and this has an enormously positive affect on
New Zealand’s biodiversity”.