Biodiversity, pests and invasive species

Biodiversity across the region has continued to decline, despite strong regulation and initiatives undertaken by iwi and land-owners to support healthy ecosystems for native species. This is mainly due to development in both urban and rural settings and more intensive land-use overall.

Drivers for change

We have central government direction on indigenous (native) biodiversity and continued demand for more intensive use of land, including development, which often encroaches on or degrades neighbouring habitats.

Regarding pest management, there is significant cost to landowners and a more integrated or region-wide approach could help reduce those costs and increase the effectiveness of their collaborative efforts. Pests and invasive species often out-compete, and introduced predators may directly threaten native species.

Increased mobility and globalisation increase the likelihood of new invasive species reaching our shores and efficient transport can help them spread more easily.

What we heard

• Incentivise land users to retain native forest and wetlands.
• Consider habitat protection when zoning for development.
• Better education on the importance of biodiversity through eco-tourism.
• Create and enhance spawning sites for fish and birds.
• Find the right balance to protect native species as well as fish and game species for recreation.

What we can influence

• We can assist in better identifying Significant Natural Areas as well as taonga (treasured) species and create supportive and enabling policies and legislation that ensure they are protected.
• We can provide direction to reduce threats to biodiversity and prioritise actions and set targets, for example, for the percentage of a given area that should provide healthy habitat for native plants and animals.
• We can take more of an incentivise/enable and encourage approach for people who want to do more for biodiversity – which might include targeted funding, and we can facilitate nature-based solutions. For example, planting raupo (reeds) and harakeke (flax) in the right places can act as a habitat as well as a filter to protect waterways from sediment and unwanted nutrients. Targeted biological control, rather than pesticides, can be used to control pests and invasive species.
• We can give stronger direction to district councils and require the development of a better understanding of where invasive species occur, as well as prioritizing which areas need attention soonest.
• We can clarify who is responsible for what in terms of management or control.