Introduction to New Zealand, Landcare Research and LUMAN

Daniel Rutledge, Fraser Morgan & Alexander Herzig

EcoArm2ERA – LUMAN Joint Workshop

Dublin, Ireland

11 June 2013

Google Maps

New Zealand: Isolated for ~80 million years

Last large land mass colonised by humans

• Pre-Human (~1000 yrs ago) – ~80% forested

– ~12% scrub/tussock

– ~2% wetlands

– High levels of endemism • 80% plants

• 60% terrestrial vertebrates

• Only mammals: 3 native bats

Area: 270,000 km2

Prevailing winds

Ancient elements

Tuatara Sphenodon guntheri and Sphenodon punctatus

Carnivorous, amphipod-eating snails

Birds

rule(d)!

• Pre-Human (~1000 yrs ago) – ~80% forested

– ~12% scrub/tussock

– ~5% wetlands

– High levels of endemism • 80% plants

• 60% terrestrial vertebrates

• Only mammals: 3 native bats

• Land Cover 2001/2002 – ~49% non-native cover

– ~26% forest

– ~15% scrub/tussock

– ~1% wetlands

– Exotic species • Mammals - stoats, rats, possums,

deer, goats, thar, chamois, etc.

• Plants – 2 000 naturalised

– 20 000+ more in gardens

– 4.4 Million Humans

– 5.3 Million Dairy Cows

– 38.5 Million Sheep

– ~2 Million Ha Plantation Forest

Area: 270,000 km2

Prevailing winds

Open nesting birds

(e.g. kokako, fantail,

kereru) are easy prey to

possums and rats

David Mudge

Nga Manu Images

Extinctions since

human settlement:

1 bat

At least 51 birds

3 frogs

3 lizards

1 freshwater fish

4 plants

A number of

invertebrates

Te Ara

Encyclopedia of

New Zealand

NZ GDP

• $211 Billion

• 30% Exports

• 20% Government Expenditure

GDP by Sector Primary Industries

7.2%

Goods Producing Industries

20.0%

Service Industries

64.4%

NZ Policy & Planning Context

• Local Government Act (LGA) – Establishes local gov’t structure – Regions & Districts – Mandates sustainable development approach – Requires preparation of long-term (≥10 years) plans

• Resource Management Act (RMA)

– Activity & Effects-based – Comprehensive – Manage resources in integrated and sustainable manner

• Spatial Planning

– No national spatial planning or plan – Spatial planning occurs primarily at the local level, except for

transport, which occurs across scales (national, regional, local)

Governance Structure

• National – key players – Parliament – Ministry for the Environment – Ministry of Business, Innovation and

Employment – Ministry for Primary Industries – Department of Conservation

• 10 Regions (black lines)

• 62 Districts (coloured shapes)

• 5 Unitary Authorities ( )

(Region + District Powers)

Chatham Islands

Example: Waikato Regional Council

Courtesy of Blair Dickie, Waikato Regional Council

Operative National Policy Statements

• Coastal Policy Statement (1994, 2010)

• Electricity Generation (2008)

• Renewable Electricity Generation (2011)

• Freshwater Management (2011)

• 8,627,729 ha nationally

• ~35% of NZ

• Includes – Conservation Estate (97.6%)

– Covenants • Nature Heritage Fund (0.2%)

• Nga Whenua Rahui (1%)

• QE II National Trust (1%)

– Regional Parks • Auckland (0.4%)

• EBOP (<0.1%)

• Horizons(<0.1%)

• Wellington (0.1%)

• Not Included – Marine Reserves

– Offshore Islands

– Local Reserves

– Private conservation areas (i.e. not legally protected)

Protected Areas

Network (PAN-NZ)

Threatened Environment Classification

Acutely Threatened <10% indigenous cover

Chronically Threatened 10-20% indigenous cover

At Risk 20-30% indigenous cover

Critically Underprotected >30% indigenous cover,

<10% protected

Underprotected >30% indigenous cover,

10-20% protected

Less Reduced &

Better Protected 20-30% indigenous cover

Land Information Availability

• Key National Datasets – Land Cover Database (1996, 2001, 2008) – Land Resources Inventory (Soils & Landform) – Fundamental Soils Layers – Land Environments of New Zealand – Topographic Information – Census of Population – Census of Agriculture – Census of Business – Ecosystem Services (emerging) – Agribase (private)

• Regional & Local – Varies widely – Detailed information on biodiversity for some areas – Consent information – but hard to get or synthesise

Recent Developments

• Resource Management Act – Simplifying and Streamlining Amendment Act 2009 – Resource Management Reform Phase 2

• Local Government Act 2002 Amendment Act

– Change to focus on core services (local infrastructure, local public services, performance of regulatory functions)

– Move away from Sustainable Development Pillars (cultural, economic, environmental, social)

• Auckland consolidation – Formerly 1 regional council + 7 city & district councils – Now single unitary authority – Requirement for Auckland Council to produce a spatial plan

• Land & Water Forum