Last year the Greens secured $8.8 million for wetland habitat
resotration in partnership with local communitites. The Awarua/Waituna
Wetland was one of three wetland areas to benefit.

Greens win $8.8 million wetland conservation in Budget 2007

Metiria Turei MP, Green Party Conservation Spokesperson

6th May 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."

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.