funds from various
funding pools such as the Council’s Environmental
Enhancement Grant fund, QEII, district council heritage funds,
and other community conservation funding.
HOW CAN THE COUNCIL HELP?
The Council is already working with interested landowners and
care groups to implement Biodiversity Plans for Key Native
Ecosystems.
For landowners interested in actively protecting their Key
Native Ecosystem the Council is prepared to give ongoing
support. The extent of this support
page
The Taranaki Biodiversity Forum Accord
A community response to protecting native
plants, animals and habitats
July 2012
Document number: 748449
page
page
i
Foreword
New Zealand is estimated to have 80,000 species of native animals, plants, and fungi – many of
which are yet to be scientifically described, named, and classified. While
Maori 33
4.5 Landowners 34
4.6 National organisations 35
4.7 Taranaki trusts and community groups 38
4.8 Industry 40
4.9 Current key biodiversity programmes in Taranaki 41
5. Council’s strategy for biodiversity 45
5.1 What are the biodiversity issues facing the Council ? 45
5.2 How to address these issues through a strategic approach 46
5.4 Council’s top strategic priorities for biodiversity 53
5.5 Addressing the national priorities 55
6. Council’s
been an incredible success story with the
community strongly supporting efforts to control
predators but there are question marks about the
funding for Predator Free 2050 initiatives such as
Towards Predator-Free Taranaki and how we
control possums more broadly.
Climate change is another area of uncertainty.
We do know that the world is getting warmer
and the Earth’s temperature is expected to be
0.5°C to 1.5°C higher by 2040. What impact this
will have on our region needs further
sustainability of the area. It can be a real thrill to discover and report what we find to the landowners. We’ve discovered kiwi, long-tailed bats (pekapeka-tou-roa), North Island robin (toutouwai), fernbird (mātātā), swamp maire, jointed fern – the list goes on! The Council prioritises 20 KNEs per year to prepare a Biodiversity Plan that helps the owner protect and further enhance their habitat. It includes funding towards work such as predator trapping, planting and fencing. A Plan could cover anything
Kaitake Range. “Taranaki has unique advantages that can make it the first region in the country to remove introduced predators – its relatively compact geography, its regional and national expertise in biodiversity and predator control, and strong community collaboration and enthusiasm at all levels,” Mr MacLeod says. The project will link with successful predator work in Egmont National Park by Taranaki Mounga Project, which has already reduced predators to low levels and allowed the reintroduction
coordinate biodiversity management with others.
Along with other agencies, the Council provides funding to private landowners or to trusts for biodiversity
projects on private land. Between 2008 and 2013, the Council allocated a total of $1,857,295 through the
Environmental Enhancement Grant. The New Plymouth District Council also allocated $138,083 through its
Natural Heritage Fund and DOC allocated $882,646 through the Community Conservation Partnerships Fund
(formerly the Biodiversity
Oākura, Merrilands and Westown are New Plymouth’s top trapping communities, restoring native wildlife and plants, with the most predator catches recorded, in backyards. New Plymouth urban trappers are uniting to help protect and enhance the district’s unique biodiversity by removing rats, possums and stoats, as part of the long-term, biodiversity project Towards Predator-Free Taranaki. Since launching on 30 May 2018, Oākura urban trappers are leading the crusade to restore local, native
detailed work and consultation is needed. These issues will potentially have a significant impact on the shaping of the Proposed Plan. They include the setting of limits; inclusion of cultural values; and protection of biodiversity and wetlands. In addition, the Government is proceeding with major reforms of the Resource Management Act. These create uncertainty and have the potential to have a major impact on the new Plan. Changes are happening nowOn a number of important issues relating to freshwater
Taranaki Regional Council has adopted its Annual Plan for the year ahead, building on the ongoing work to care for the region’s environment and working together with communities to take Taranaki forward. The 2023/2024 Annual Plan, which has no new work programmes to those set out in the 2021/2031 Long-Term Plan (LTP), is gearing the Council up to face the many challenges ahead including changing regulations around freshwater, Resource Management Act (RMA) reform, mitigating against climate