Tēnā koutou katoa

I’d like to thank Te Ātiawa for their warm welcome to a truly landmark event. I’d also like to thank all who have made today’s celebration possible, and to acknowledge all who are involved in ensuring the wellbeing of rowi, the rarest of our kiwi species.

These experiences with our native wildlife are an absolute highlight of my job. I’ve had giant weta crawl up my arm, met with kakapo star Sirocco, and had the privilege of meeting our national icon on a few occasions. I recognise the importance of highlighting milestones in conservation practice and in acknowledging developments that are of significance to all New Zealanders. It’s important that we celebrate successes and applaud bold new enterprise.

I’ve got to admit that I’ve become familiar and comfortable with handling kiwi, and fully appreciate getting up close and personal with the species that not so long ago was precariously close to extinction. It’s very rewarding to be part of an event like this and to celebrate advances in kiwi recovery.

Since the early 1990s, considerable time and energy has been invested in rowi recovery. The dedication of all who have supported the project has been unstinting. Over the years, the Rowi Team have been able to return many young rowi to South Ökärito Forest. The healthy increase in the population bears witness to the effort and resources invested and to the support of proud stakeholders. Indeed, thanks to advances in technology and management methods such as Bank of New Zealand Operation Nest Egg, the DOC Franz Josef team will introduce 40 juvenile rowi to the forest this year.

The rowi population currently numbers some 350 adult birds. Such a small population is particularly at risk of loss of genetic diversity and inbreeding. Today’s translocation marks a further exciting and innovative development in rowi recovery. It’s anticipated that transferring these birds to a fertile island habitat may encourage successful breeding.

This translocation from the “whänau” population in South Ökärito to Oruawairua/Blumine Island, as part of the Rowi Island Project, is an especially exciting undertaking. It is the first translocation of rowi, and unique in that it is the only time that unproductive adult birds have been afforded such management. Not only are the pairs of rowi whose presence we’re in critically endangered, but they have the added distinctiveness of never having produced offspring. Genes that are locked up in these special individuals are invaluable to the diversity and health of the rowi population.

Critical to the success of any conservation project is the passion, enthusiasm and commitment of the stakeholders. The Rowi Island Project, and in particular realisation of today’s translocation, has been a demonstration of how collaborative, forward-thinking and bold new approaches to conservation can promote innovative practice.

We are grateful to the support of Bank of New Zealand Save the Kiwi Trust for their generous support of the Rowi Island Project. Partnerships, especially in times like these where Government Departments have to make the best use possible of limited funds, are a very productive way in joining forces with private enterprise to encourage advancement in wildlife conservation and indirectly improve our quality of life and stimulate our economy.

The translocation negotiations and agreement for post-translocation stewardship are good examples of inter-hapü cooperation. For the purposes of the tuhinga tikanga, kaitiakitanga will be shared between Te Rünanga o Makaawhio and Te Ātiawa. The kaitiaki role will transfer to Te Ātiawa on completion of the handover ceremony, and remain until the rowi are handed back/returned to Makaawhio.

The last ingredient for success, and a most critical one, is that you New Zealanders support the project and also believe that saving this species is important. For Te Runanga o Makaawhio, rowi are a taonga or “treasure”. Kiwi are a national treasure, our icon, and the importance of not letting our national icon become extinct must never be forgotten.

Let’s not underestimate the value of wildlife recovery and conservation initiatives. Today’s events contribute to our wellbeing and enrich our way of life. Just as a robust kiwi population signals a robust ecosystem, the intactness of our natural heritage is vital to the health and identity of New Zealanders and to the vitality of our economy.

I’m looking forward, like many of you, to meeting rowi face-to-face very shortly, and reacquainting myself with New Zealand’s rarest kiwi.

These are special rowi. They are the island pioneers. May they go forth increase and multiply.

Posted by staff in Speech at 10:10

Conservation Minister Kate Wilkinson today praised the Department of Conservation, business and hapü for bringing about the translocation of three pairs of endangered rowi to Oruawairua/Blumine Island in the Marlborough Sounds.

The three rowi pairs, the rarest of New Zealand’s five kiwi species, have not bred in their South Ökärito Forest habitat on the West Coast. But it is hoped the fertile island habitat will encourage them to reproduce.

Releasing the first of the five pairs today, Ms Wilkinson said the translocation was the culmination of work made possible by the generous sponsorship of the Bank of New Zealand Save the Kiwi Fund, and the close co-operation between Te Runanga o Makaawhio and Te

“The rowi population at Ökärito is at risk of losing genetic diversity and the genes locked up in these three pairs are invaluable.

“All going well they will be contributing to the health and diversity of the rowi population as a whole when they or their progeny are returned to Ökärito,” Ms Wilkinson said.

DOC cleared Oruawairua/Blumine Island of rodents, stoats and introduced predators in a poisoning and trapping operation in 2005. Saddlebacks were moved to the island earlier this year – the first native species to be relocated to the island.

Intensive work by DOC and the BNZ Save the Kiwi Campaign has seen the rowi population more than double from 150 to 350 adult birds since the early 1990s. All are located in the South Ökärito Forest.

Posted by staff in News at 10:05

Minister for Food Safety Kate Wilkinson today welcomed the appointment of Tony Nowell as New Zealand’s new member of the Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) board.

"Mr Nowell has extensive experience at senior management and governance level in the food industry in the Australasian region.

"I am confident that he will make an excellent contribution to the joint food regulation system and be a strong voice for New Zealand."

Mr Nowell is currently a New Zealand representative on the APEC Business Advisory Council, the Chair of the Manukau Food Innovation Centre Board and a member of the National Export Advisory Board of Business New Zealand.

His previous roles include being chief executive of Zespri International Limited, managing director of Griffin’s Foods Limited, chair of the New Zealand Food and Grocery Council and co-chair of the New Zealand Food and Beverage Taskforce.

Mr Nowell will commence his appointment on 1 July 2010 for a term of three years.

Posted by staff in News at 14:19

Good evening and thank you for the opportunity to open your Annual General Meeting.

Tonight I want to offer you an insight into how I approach the conservation portfolio, what I want to achieve and where I see Forest and Bird in this picture. We have a lot in common.

There are a number of crucial conservation issues that are probably high in your minds right now. The discussion about opening up Schedule 4 land to mineral exploration would be right up there, of course, as is the management of threatened species.

I’ll touch on those later. But firstly, can I thank you all for your unwavering advocacy for nature in New Zealand, on national and local fronts. The catch-cry of Forest and Bird is all about giving a voice to nature. Your passion for our environment is to be admired. As you know it’s actually quite hard not to be passionate about our country when you get out and experience it. We are absolutely blessed with spectacular landscapes and an abundance of wildlife, particularly birdlife. It’s impossible to come away from a visit to any of our national parks without feeling an emotional attachment to it. That’s the magic of nature.

You want more done to protect our natural heritage, as you should. We’re not in disagreement here. Ideally the Government would be flush with a never-ending source of funds that could be funnelled into conservation and species recovery programmes. Unfortunately we all know the economic realities aren’t quite that rosy.

Clearly there are going to be issues or Government policies we disagree on. Even agreeing on the goal doesn’t mean we want to take the same path. But I have appreciated meeting with Mike Britton and his team to better understand what particular concerns you have. I want this to continue because I value your input.

Forest and Bird has a rich and detailed understanding of environmental and conservation issues. It’s the specifics that are important. What flora and fauna will be affected by activities, and how, is crucial to decision-making. This is how I know you’re really connected to an issue. Emotion can only carry an argument so far in the cold light of day. It’s fair to say that my years as a lawyer influence the way I approach issues. I like to see arguments backed by facts and evidence.

For example, weka are a much-loved native bird. But I know they’re causing real problems on the Open Bay Islands off Haast – killing off critically threatened lizards and eating the eggs and hatchlings of nesting birds including penguins. Pretty soon I expect DOC will advise me the best solution is to cull the offending weka and I’ll have to give it serious consideration. I wouldn’t mind hearing your thoughts on this problem too.

My role as Minister of Conservation is one of stewardship. Regardless of how long I am in this job, I’m not going to outlive it. While I am here, it’s a matter of doing everything I can to ensure New Zealanders get the maximum benefit and enjoyment out of their conservation estate. I will touch on the role of the conservation economy shortly, but I want to take a moment to reinforce the intrinsic worth of our land. The inherent values and emotional connection to our National Parks and favourite landscapes are impossible to put a dollar figure on.

You can’t quantify how much Fiordland National Park is worth to New Zealanders’ sense of identity. You’ll see the same attachment to Mt Taranaki from anyone you come across from that region. It’s these values that have to take precedence and require absolute protection. It is incumbent on us to protect those areas the public wants kept pristine for future generations to enjoy. The Government is committed to making New Zealand the greatest place on earth to raise a family. A feature of that is a strong economy, as is our unparalleled natural heritage.

The world is facing a stiff biodiversity challenge. The global population is increasing significantly, meaning more mouths to feed, more pressure on natural resources and more land being put to use. Countries all around the world are looking for efficient and realistic means to boost their economies. New Zealand is no exception.

Against this background, the Schedule 4 debate has been incredibly interesting. Criticism has been directed at me personally. I am happy to wear it. There are 57 mines currently operating on conservation land and another 27 permits allowing exploration and other activity, none of which carry my signature of approval. The discussion around Schedule 4 started several months before I became Minister and I approached my colleague’s proposal from a very simple perspective. Should New Zealanders be allowed to have an informed discussion about what activity is allowed on their land? Absolutely they should.

Fundamentally, it boils down to trusting New Zealanders to understand the issue at hand. It is their land, after all, and they have every right to debate what is and isn’t appropriate activity on it. Like all political debates, it’s had plenty of facts and plenty of rhetoric, but it’s critical we have these kind of discussions. I assure you that this Government does listen. We will not allow mining to compromise our ability to ensure our most valuable natural heritage remains protected for our families to enjoy.

The greatest benefit that has come from the Schedule 4 discussion is that conservation has been given a huge profile. It’s made people think about what parts of New Zealand they treasure and how it needs to be protected. Hopefully that translates into more people getting out into our magnificent countryside, and getting involved in conservation work.

My aim is to get more people out experiencing our country and wildlife. I’m not necessarily talking about tourists. We know international visitors largely come here for outdoors adventures and often return. Getting them to return and spread the good word is important, but so is enticing more urban Kiwis into the countryside. We live busy lives. Work takes up more time than it should. Other commitments could keep you at home for an entire year. The challenge is getting busy people out in the hills to enjoy their own backyard.

I’m a firm believer in getting New Zealanders out experiencing our environment, learning about it and becoming passionate about it. DOC is actively involved in developing cycleways and new campsites. It’s these sorts of affordable – or even free – facilities and infrastructure that make it easier to entice people outside. The more they see of our country, the more they will want to ensure their children and grandchildren get to share that same feeling of wonder. It might be that they turn to volunteer work themselves, or advocate for the protection of areas that resonate with them personally. Either way, a challenge I have set myself is to encourage more families to get outdoors. Making our conservation land more accessible is part of that.

Since taking on the conservation portfolio, including as Associate Minister, I have headed out to see as much of our conservation estate as possible. I can’t say I’ve ticked off every single one of the eight-and-a-half million hectares, but I have visited every conservancy. The work that is going on out there is fantastic, whether it’s building huts on the Milford track or saving the Chatham Island’s taiko. Much of this work is being undertaken through volunteers and in partnership with companies.

It’s important that DOC continues to foster good relationships with businesses and identifies commercial opportunities. There has been criticism of DOC’s Statement of Intent; with suggestions that business has no place in conservation and that a commercial focus goes against the Conservation Act. This is largely ideological politics from parties that fail to understand the role business can and needs to play. The SOI specifically talks about new initiatives for the Department. It doesn’t restate all the good core work that it does.

Make no mistake that both DOC and I take our statutory responsibilities seriously. Its core work is all about protection and advocacy. I expect, as do you, that this takes precedence. To suggest these functions are being eroded purely because new priorities have been mentioned is ludicrous. Even a cursory glance at the budget for Vote Conservation will demonstrate this. The Department has a good grasp of its core role and is seeking to improve its efficiency and effectiveness in more areas.

DOC set up a commercial business unit in an effort to identify opportunities for operators. This is absolutely true. There are over 4000 businesses operating on conservation land already and there is room for more. That isn’t going to come at the expense of the environment or conservation. In fact it is the opposite.

It’s no secret that DOC has limited resources. There are eight-and-a-half million hectares of conservation land in New Zealand. We have 2000 at-risk species and pests and predators that need constant management. DOC simply can’t do it all. Dealing with wilding pine alone would require a budget of well over $1 billion. We don’t have that sort of money.

Internationally, budgeted spending on conservation and heritage is being pulled back. We have to face the economic realities. People have these fantasies that we can just borrow and spend till the cows come home. We can’t. Getting businesses involved in conservation work is a smart and pragmatic approach.

Business is already involved in conservation programmes, including restoration work, pest management and species recovery. Last year we celebrated a tremendous breeding season by kakapo. I am told that this year also has the potential to be another good breeding season as well - not that Sirocco is likely to behave in a manner that will allow him to contribute. I mention the kakapo because a significant amount of resource has been sponsored to the kakapo programme by Rio Tinto Comalco, in partnership with the department and yourselves. This is a model where not only volunteers contribute but so do the commercial sector. We also have other examples through Real Journeys, BNZ Save the Kiwi Trust, Mitre 10 Takah

There is absolutely no contradiction between DOC seeking a return on the taxpayer’s asset and doing its core work. The fact DOC wants to get more businesses involved doesn’t compromise its core functions at all. It aids them.

The crucial point is that commercial operations on our conservation estate have to meet environmental thresholds. They need to mitigate any impact they have and DOC is keen to further this through more partnership models. It’s good for jobs, it’s good for conservation, and it’s good for getting more people working to protect our most valuable land. Ideally, this could lead to a significant increase in the number of pest and species management programmes being run.

New Zealand has one of the richest and most threatened areas of biodiversity on Earth. The biggest threat to our biodiversity is introduced pests. We have made significant gains on the restoration of islands and will continue to build on these - the latest project being Rangitoto-Motutapu on Auckland’s backdoor. Through this example our unique biodiversity is close at hand to one third of New Zealanders. It’s an educational opportunity to emphasise and instil conservation values to this significant population of New Zealanders, and ultimately secure the importance of New Zealand’s biodiversity.

The mainland, however, remains a challenge where our weaponry against pests is limited. Without biodegradable 1080 to hold the line, our firepower would be severely weakened. Your support for the use of biodegradable 1080 is greatly valued – particularly at a time when the voice of opposition is getting louder and we can not yet offer a practical alternative that would eliminate the use of toxins. The use of biodegradable 1080 to knock down populations of rats, possums and stoats allows 7 out of 10 kiwi chicks to survive – as opposed to letting 9 out of 10 die. This message is justification in itself for its use, as is the ongoing approval from ERMA, after an extensive investigation, to distribute it from the air. I also want to get the message across that 1080 is not just 1080 - it is biodegradable 1080.

More than 2000 native species are vulnerable here, but we can only actively manage just over 200 of them. The most critical get the attention. Against this background I am pleased to have been able to increase the protection status of 12 previously unprotected species of invertebrate and a number of marine species, including manta ray, giant groper and corals.

It has been an interesting process observing people’s reaction to increasing the protection of invertebrates such as the katipo. Somehow the media managed to turn it into a negative and decided increasing this protection meant people would go to prison if they accidentally stood on one. Rest assured, the only people who risk a prison sentence for stepping on a katipo work at the Dominion Post. Everyone else is safe. Accidentally squashing a katipo of course will not be punishable, but attempting to smuggle them out of the country in your underwear will be.

Protection of our biodiversity is the responsibility of everyone. A recent international survey of 10,000 children and young people in ten countries showed that 40% of the young people surveyed ranked watching TV or playing computer games as most important to them. Only 4% think saving the environment is important. I know that statistic does not apply to you in this room, and doesn’t necessarily accurately reflect New Zealand youth. But we cannot afford this level of apathy to settle here and erode the valuable work done by volunteers at the moment. We need more work to be done.

The biodiversity challenge is great and as I said we don’t have the resources to protect and manage everything everywhere. We have to get better and smarter. DOC is now at the stage where the National Heritage Management System - NHMS - will be used to help prioritise which sites for species and ecosystems protection will give the best gains. Operation Ark and the focus on targeted species have been key to protecting biodiversity.

The knowledge gained from these methods has now been built into NHMS to assist in prioritising work. This will help us to achieve greater conservation outcomes more cost-effectively – something which is even more important in a time of tough economic times. By describing priority biodiversity work, we will then be able to encourage the community and iwi to support these projects – the nationally “special” things – in their local areas. Getting the community on board with projects makes a huge difference to the speed of progress.

Volunteers, like you, play an important role in conservation. Last year public conservation land received over 26 thousand workdays from over 7000 volunteers - approximately $4 million in donated labour. At the moment DOC works with 552 community partner groups. A 2007 report showed the value added to conservation by just 200 groups was around $16 million.

Since November 2008, 257 members of the public attended one of the Department’s field based biodiversity courses. Attendees were regional councils, trusts, contractors, volunteers and university and polytech students. And since August 2009, 2600 members of the public have started one of the Department’s online biodiversity courses. This is a great way to grow and educate the volunteer workforce. Now is the time to build on this potential to protect our biodiversity.

As I have already said, the challenge I want to meet is getting more New Zealanders out into the conservation estate. I want parents to pass on their passion to their children. Forest and Bird has a big part to play in this vision. You have the drive and passion already and your knowledge of conservation positions you perfectly as educators. So I encourage you to continue giving a voice to nature and to inspire the next generation of New Zealanders to do the same.

Posted by staff in Speech at 14:24

Minister of Conservation Kate Wilkinson today received the final report outlining the recommended process for establishing a new Game Animal Council.

The creation of the Council was recommended in 2007 and is a feature of the National-led Government’s Confidence and Supply Agreement with United Future, who are working closely with the Minister on hunting issues.

The report, written by the Establishment Committee, proposes the process by which the Council could be created, its responsibilities and how it could function.

"The recommendations in this report have been widely anticipated and will be of significant interest to hunters around the country.

"I expect the Government will be in a position to announce its formal response by September."

A copy of the report can be found at www.nzgac.org.nz.

Posted by staff in News at 14:11