$250,000 in funding for region-wide biodiversity support

Canterbury announced today that it had recently allocated almost a quarter of a million dollars to a range of important biodiversity projects across the Canterbury region.

Biodiversity Team Leader Dr Jo Abbott says this money is in addition to Immediate Steps biodiversity funding to ensure that all Canterbury Water Management Strategy biodiversity targets can be achieved.

“These projects will protect and enhance a variety of ecosystem types, including wetlands, lowland streams and native vegetation remnants,” Jo Abbott said. “Projects include native plantings, weed control, pest and stockproof fencing.”

Projects to which funding has been allocated this round include:

In Kaikoura, riparian planting along Middle Creek will be undertaken with native eco-sourced plants on three adjacent properties. This will result in an extended stretch of the waterway being protected and habitat for native fish being enhanced. “Ecologically, it is much more effective to protect longer stretches of waterways,” Jo Abbott said.

Landowners on Banks Peninsula have received funding to enable them to fence stock out of a significant area of land which includes volcanic rocky outcrops, the headwaters of a stream and remnant scrub and forest vegetation. “This project rated very highly ecologically because of the rarity of these ecosystems in Banks Peninsula,” Jo Abbott said.

In the Selwyn Waihora region, the Banks Peninsula Conservation Trust was granted funding to help landowners erect fencing to protect 347 hectares of native and regenerating bush. “When completed this will be a great place for the public to visit and view a restoration project in action,” Jo Abbott said.

In Upper Waitaki, funding was allocated to protect a rare bog pine dominated ecosystem in and around the Ben Dhu Scientific Reserve. “The aim of the project is to control wilding pines to help protect this area of bog pine and other native vegetation, including native broom, adjacent to a scientific reserve,” Jo Abbott said. “Wilding pine control is very important work and we recently supported successful volunteer days in other parts of Canterbury.”

In Lower Waitaki, funding was awarded for protection of kanuka and other native species in gullies on a dairy farm. “This project shows how biodiversity and ecosystem protection can be incorporated into a working landscape,” Jo Abbott said.

Environment Canterbury has also allocated grants on behalf of the Honda Treefund. Honda sponsors 10 native trees to be planted for every new car sold, with another three funded by local Honda dealers. “Projects awarded funding include the Otamahua / Quail Island ecological restoration, which is an ongoing programme of planting native species to provide food for native birds,” Jo Abbott said.

More than $243,000 in biodiversity support funding was granted in the current round and the year-to-date figure now exceeds $380,000.

Landowners who believe they have a good idea for a biodiversity project deserving support should contact their local Environment Canterbury Biodiversity Officer via 0800 324 636 or biodiversity@ecan.govt.nz