Biodiversity on Private Land
When people think of biodiversity they often think of national parks, but much of our valued biodiversity is not in national parks or on Crown land. The Government is introducing a number of measures to address the management of biodiversity on land that is outside public conservation lands, such as farms, urban backyards and council reserves.
Included are measures designed to enable local government to increase their role in the management of biodiversity, as well as helping support landowners. It's hoped that regional councils will take a lead on this issue with district and city councils also playing an important role (the Ministry for the Environment plans to provide legislation, policy and funding to help them do this).
Also planned is a national policy statement - the first of its kind - giving guidance on how councils should take account of biodiversity in relation to their Resource Management Act (RMA) functions.
Other things being planned include:
- funding for biodiversity advisory services that offer landowners advice on how to adapt land management for better biodiversity outcomes;
- more funding for biodiversity management such as doing work on pest and weed control, fencing, restoration, etc;
- increased support for existing protection programmes such as the QEII National Trust;
- an amendment to the Resource Management Act to clarify the role of local government in biodiversity; and
- investigation into establishing a mechanism to better co-ordinate biodiversity projects and programmes.
| Copies of the Ministerial Advisory Committee report and a summary of submissions on the earlier report `Bio-what?' are available from the Ministry for the Environment website at www.mfe.govt.nz , or by calling the Ministry on (04) 917 7493 |
Contact for Enquiries
The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry
Pastoral House
25 The Terrace
PO Box 2526, Wellington
Tel: 0800 00 83 33
Fax: +64 4 894 0720
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