Some of the headings came from the structure of the discussion paper, some from the survey structure and some from the material itself, where people were venturing into areas not covered by the working group material.
Strategy
General
However, in order to get to a real regional approach with real community support for the Biostrategy, it needs to be a more inclusive and balanced document. It should be stated more clearly and in the introduction that the Biostrategie is non-legal.
Scope
- General
- Geographic
- Systemic
- Ecological
It would be more effective to allow the municipality to contribute to a community-owned strategy to contribute funds to projects where ratepayers have a statutory responsibility for a certain level of funding. How to prevent the Biostrategy from turning into a non-discriminatory regulatory hammer when the TRMP is updated.
Priorities
- Overall
- Māori
- Threatened species
- Ecosystems
- Existing information
- Climate change
- Restoration
- Biosecurity
- Wildfire
- Sediment
- Engagement
- Community wellbeing
- Lowlands
- Holism
I do not believe that cultural or spiritual beliefs of any race should be the basis of biostrategy. Build on existing resources and information on biodiversity priorities in the region (eg Leathwick report to TDC, July 2019) to understand which sites and ecosystems (and species, if possible) are most vulnerable to climate change, and thus where actions on the ground and at the policy level could have the most significant positive impact on ecosystem resilience in the future.
Principles
Standardizing or directing biodiversity project work through single-model management platforms limits what is possible, thus repeating the problems already caused by our exploitation of the natural environment. What is the value of biodiversity work if TDC practices do not consider the downstream consequences of other forms of use and/or development.
Policy
- General
- National Policy
- Other strategies
- Recombinant ecology
- Science led
The biggest uncertainty in the area of biodiversity/biosecurity planning is the breakdown of the current RMA under which this policy process began. The best habitat is the uncontrolled, weedy edge of Motueka (starting to be destroyed by sterile plantings), a recently destroyed 'affordable' stand in plantation forest along the Valley Road, bramble, barberry and flagellum slopes (among others).
Language
Instead, biodiversity/biosecurity debate should now be around which zones are essential for primary production, which for recreation, which for urban/semi-urban business and which for accommodation. We need a science-led approach to this to achieve the best strategic advantage and consider cost versus benefit.
Measurement
We will use other strategies as a base document - don't try to write a new strategy. Yes, help people with their favorite place to some extent, but don't let it lead you.
Implementation
Scale
General
Ecosystems
- Health
- Resilience
- Landuse
- Habitats
- Integration
- Pest free
- Restoration
- Protected areas
- Marine
My vision for biodiversity before 2050 is to find a balance, somewhere in the middle, that benefits both sides. Nelson Tasman's biodiversity and ecosystems are resilient to climate change and an integral part of the climate solution.
Biodiversity
Species
Culture
- General
- Leadership
- Learning
- Interdependence
- Collaboration
- Māori perspective
- Proactive
- Long view
The Tasman Bio Strategy should follow the lead of the recently released Te Mana o te Taiao - Aotearoa New Zealand Biodiversity Strategy 2020, by seamlessly integrating the Māori perspective. My vision is that the Tasman region will become a beacon of hope for other regions in Aotearoa as it has taken forward-looking measures from 2020 to protect its wildlife. In particular, Tasman took action to protect natural habitats, ceased exploitation of land, implemented more sustainable agriculture (marine and land-based agriculture), took action to hold landowners accountable for eradicating invasive species and minimized the impact of climate change.
Toxins
Climate change
Some people did not limit themselves to Tasman and commented on areas in the Nelson region.
Well managed
- General
- NW coast
- Golden Bay
- Kahurangi
- Abel Tasman
- Motueka
- Waimea
- Nelson Lakes/Murchison
- Outside Tasman
The headwaters of the Motueka River in Kahurangi National Park - self-managed and critical to the well-being of the lower catchment. Phase out plantation forestry production on the seaward edge of the sand barrier island. Brook Waimarama Sanctuary is a safe place for birds because there are no predators, there are also many nature walks.
Needing more management
- NW coast
- Golden Bay
- Kahurangi
- Abel Tasman
- Motueka
- Waimeha
- Kawatiri
- Mt Richmond
- Outside Tasman
There are also plenty of opportunities to return Rabbit Island to its original vegetation, at least in the areas most used by the public. Both areas have their own specific biodiversity attributes, including alpine wetland vegetation on the plateau and high butterfly biodiversity in the spear grass, and both have high and potentially growing uses. Hunters in the area often trample the native bush(s) because of this.
General
A smaller number sought more management for lowland, mountain and urban environments. Some were concerned about the state of public lands, such as road reserves. Many people sought greater care for a wide variety of bird species (9) and groups such as shorebirds. One submission suggested that it may also be helpful to recognize the role of valued introduced species such as trout and mallards.
General
Well managed
- General
- Public conservation land
- Riparian
- Lifestyle blocks
Needing more management
- Marine
- Estuaries
- Coastal
- Freshwater
- Wetlands
- Karst
- Riparian margins
- Lowland
- Mountains
- Urban
- Public land
Golden Bay is a delicate and vulnerable ecosystem which will undoubtedly be affected by the significant expansion of mussel farms. As the inhabitants of Golden Bay are also part of the biosphere, we require that the strategy also include the effects of aquaculture development on them. Public spaces in coastal areas of Golden Bay infested with noxious plant species need attention.
Species
- General
- Plants
- Birds
- Marine Mammals
- Terrestrial mammals
- Reptiles
- Invertebrates
- Fish
National parks and public areas and private areas must be incorporated into the strategy. Some controls should be placed on vehicles on beaches to protect the shoreline from unnecessary damage. They suggested that economic models must change if the biodiversity targets are to be met.
Climate change
- General
- Emissions reduction and sequestration
- Adaptation and mitigation
- Leadership
- Impacts
The wider context of climate change is explicitly included in the Working Group's Terms of Reference. Climate change is upon us and must be addressed urgently, both in terms of mitigation and adaptation. If the impacts of climate change become too severe, ecosystems will become less resilient and animal and plant species will be lost.
Pests and weeds
- General
- Exotic mammals
- Exotic insects
- Weeds
What we all agree on is that we do not want a population of feral cats in the wild. Actions now taken in the Dodson Valley area came too late to prevent major work from being done. It is already well established in the Hamama area and is up to the KNP limit, with not enough funding to tackle it yet.
People pressure
- General
- Exotic forestry
- Horticulture and agriculture
- Development
- Habitat
- Population growth
- Visitors
Planning rules need to be changed to limit this damage to the landscape (and also the lack of habitat for the wildlife that exists within them). We must radically reduce the use of chemicals so as not to harm the natives. We must admit that this is the biggest threat to our region and our planet.
Marine issues
- General
- Seabed and sediment
- Vessels
- Fisheries
- Noise
- Aquaculture
Vehicle-based 'freedom camps', especially by foreign tourists with little knowledge or understanding of the requirements of our native species should be minimized by limiting unfettered access and use of camps to the most vulnerable areas. The council has allowed the continued degradation of the region resulting in massive amounts of silt ending up around the coast and in the bay, destroying the marine and benthic habitats that once supported fish and bird life. The health of the marine ecology should be monitored including effects on noise on marine mammals and specific bird species such as penguins.
Freshwater issues
Clam farming in Golden Bay is set to increase sevenfold, with permits issued for 3,000 hectares of aquaculture in the sheltered shallow bay.
Chemicals
Combined education and controls to replace urea use with atmospheric nitrogen fixation by legumes. Urea use in NZ directly causes 4 million tonnes per year of greenhouse gas emissions measured as CO₂ equivalent, which is 5% of our total.5 Until the 1980s we used clover for all nitrogen fixation in agriculture, so it is a well-proven method and can be used again.
Culture
- Trust
- Anthropocentricism
- Economic
- Administration
- Eurocentric
- Leadership and governance
- Technocratic
- Kaitiakitanga
- Purpose
- Generational
- Collaboration
- Volunteerism
At all times, decision makers undertaking activities in the Tasman District must confirm the requirements set out in the Integrated Priorities 'road map'. By taking a neutral approach on tenure to include multiple organizations and landowners, there must be a coherent purpose. There should be an agreement between the partners - that the community group is working towards the specific goals identified in the strategy and that the Council, in recognition of this, can offer advice and support.
Expertise and knowledge
Lack of knowledge and tools to effectively address many of the threats our biodiversity faces. Some of the best pest control and native species monitoring experts are located in the Nelson/Tasman region. One of the biggest threats is not knowing which species exist and which species have been lost.
Economy
A barrier to be overcome is the amount of awareness in the Tasman region, because of the Abel Tasman National Park, the Tasman region is accepted as a biodiversity area, but the rest of the Tasman region is forgotten and assumed to be biodiverse as well. As for awareness, another barrier that allows people to take care of the environment is if no one has any interest in a region with biodiversity, it will never be achieved. People who don't know what's going on, there are lots of people who don't know how to get involved.
Rules
- Enforcement
- Regulation
- Protected areas
A tax on all new construction within the expected 10m rise must be kept in a separate fund so that buildings can be demolished/removed and not simply left to break up in the marine environment. Also building new subdivisions near Richmond in areas most likely to be affected by sea level rise. Some of the regulatory tools available now are not being applied correctly or are being applied unevenly.
General
Engagement
- Collaboration
- Education
- Better practice
- Incentives
Provide case studies to councils, developers, industry, the public to demonstrate the multiple benefits (financial and non-financial) of taking actions such as restoring wetlands to mitigate flood damage; the role of estuaries in storm surge protection; mental health benefits of accessible indigenous forest areas, etc. Develop value-added opportunities for producers who conserve biodiversity and address climate change to market their products as such, e.g. Encourage and incentivize long-term planning horizons that take climate change into account at landscape and agricultural levels.
Programmes
- Kotahitanga mō te Taiao
- Department of Conservation
- Golden Bay weed control
- Planting programmes
- QEII
- Native Habitats Tasman
- Climate Forum
- Cycle ways
- Local initiatives
- Maori land
- Philanthropy
- Private enterprise
- Rivers /freshwater -
- Marine
- Sanctuaries
- Council programmes
These would mean developing a wilderness protection plan for the North West Coast and focusing attention on the health of the Whanganui Inlet. Change the wording to: “Monitoring the health of the marine environment by assessing the condition of shellfish beds. These would mean building on some of the conservation initiatives in the Red Hills and Mt Richmond Forest, such as wild conifer control and small carnivore control and forest restoration.
Methods
- Research and monitoring
- Funding
- Cultural
- Wildlife corridors
- Protected areas
- New technologies
- Riparian protection
- Land acquisition
- Soft tech
- Integrated planning
- Enabling landowners
- Education
- RMA
Bio/genetic solutions must be found and the Predator Free NZ group must be supported and not copied by TDC. There is a need for good coordination and not competition between projects, especially for what always seem to be limited resources. This mapping and implementation should be done much faster, as we are losing these pages while they are being surveyed.
