January 2005NEWSLETTER

PO Box 17-719, Christchurch www.summitroadsociety.org.nz secretary@summitroadsociety.org.nz

The Work Parties have been as busy asever over the last six months. It looksas though we are again on target for3,000 volunteer hours during the year.

EASTENDERS

The Eastenders have been involved intheir usual mix of activities on the easternsection of the Port Hills. This has includedtrack maintenance on the Chalmers andWhakaraupo Tracks and in CavendishReserve, and planting at Rapanui Bushand Sumnervale Reserve. Only smallremnants of native bush characterisethe hills around Sumner, and the 500trees and shrubs planted by the groupin Sumnervale Reserve will help inrestoring this popular walking area. Stillin Sumner, mention should be made ofBill LeGros and Terry Evrard, who not

content with their two-man mission tokeep the Captain Thomas Track in shape,with the help of Ted Matthews, havecreated what will become a very popularloop track linking Rapaniu Bush andSumnervale Reserve/Captain ThomasTrack, via the south side of Evans Pass.Their efforts earned them a piece in theNovember 24th issue of Bay HarbourNews.

Often not considered as part of thenetwork of tracks on the Port Hills, thecircuit of Barnett Park is nonetheless agreat walk. In recent years this hasbecome neglected, and the Eastendershave now started maintenance workhere, with their usual enthusiasm andcommitment.

OHINETAHI

Mike White reports:

A walk through the Ohinetahi BushReserve is strongly recommended thissummer. Regular rainfall through thewinter and spring has been nurturingthe bush and the pristine forest canopyglistens with healthy leafy growth.

The Reserve’s work team has beenturning out regularly each Tuesdayduring the winter and spring to continuewith the required maintenance andmanagement.Further plantings along the boundaryabove Govenors Bay were carried outwith seedlings purchased from fundsobtained from the Lion Foundation. Wehave been encouraged to continue withthis programme by the strong growth

of the well established seedlings planted3 winters ago. Releasing of theseseedlings is a regular activity as grassgrowth threatens to overwhelm them.Despite all the weeding carried out inthe past more weeds continue to bediscovered. The team return homebattered and scratched after a dayclearing banana passionfruit, battlingthrough blackberry bracken and gorseon steep terrain to get to the roots ofthis invasive weed where one plant cansmother huge areas of regeneratingbush. There is always plenty of old-mans-beard, cherry, barberry, to bedealt with as well.The team is following up Target PestManagement’s possum hunt in theReserve financed by Ecan) with our ownbait stations using Talon bait. We have

discovered that possums love peanutbutter which lure them to the stations!Target’s tally this year was 262 killsfollowing 300 last year but who knowshow many are still romping around.Our team maintain their enthusiasm forthe Reserve, being inspired by thepectacular and dramatic environment,the encouraging signs of forest healthand regeneration, and of course thecomradeship of the weekly outings.

In addition to the regular work on ourown reserve, the team has been‘spreading its wings’. Two membershelped at a recent planting day atRapaki, and members have also helpedthe Governors Bay Landcare Group, whoare good friends and supporters of theSociety, with weed control on covenantedland in the Zephyr Terrace area.

WEEKENDERS

The Weekenders is still struggling toincrease its membership, but nonethelessmanages to contribute to the Society’svoluntary efforts. Mid-year saw the groupstart work on the re-alignment of theWai-iti Track at Ohinetahi Reserve. Thishas been enthusiastically taken on boardby the Ohinetahi group since. The latterpart of the year has seen the Weekendersreturn to Scott Reserve, releasing nativeplantings and clearing broom. Specialthanks go to John Watson, who notcontent with his Tuesdays at OhinetahiReserve, happily lends his presence andskills on a Saturday afternoon.

Colin & Ben Faulkner:

When we talk about the Society workparties, one normally thinks of theEastenders and the Ohinetahi group.However, we should not forget theFaulkner brothers, Colin and Ben, whohave been keen supporters of the Societyfor many years. They are still active inmaintaining tracks in the Gebbies Passarea.

All the work parties would welcomenew members. The contacts are:

Eastenders (fortnightly on a Mondaymorning) Geoff Bendall 384 9254

Ohinetahi (weekly on a Tuesday)Gordon Kirk 960 7134

Weekenders (monthly on a Saturdayafternoon) John Goodrich 326 7330

Work Party Highlights

left to right; John Willocks, Ian Wood, Bruce Bunny, Ken Rossiter and Bob Cawley taking a wellearned break whilst working on the Whakaraupo track

In September, with the passing of Cliff Holdsworth, theSociety lost one of its great characters, and someone whohad a pivotal role in the formation of the Hill Work Parties,which remain such a fundamental aspect of the Society’sactivities. The Work Parties had humble beginnings in1968, when Cedric Turner and Cliff decided to set asideeach Tuesday for practical work for the Society. From itsfoundation, the Society had been involved in fencing,planting, weed control etc, but this had been rather sporadic.Cliff transformed this into a regular and organised activity,and his legacy is that the work parties today represent theSociety’s most effective and visible activity, involving around70 volunteers.

Cliff’s professional background as Chief Draughtsman inthe Department of Lands and Survey gave him “…an eyefor detail and an extraordinary meticulousness in hisorganisation”. This enabled him to carry out some of theearliest detailed mapping of walking tracks. He was alsoa good ambassador for the Society, and played an importantrole in the development of the working relationship thatexists between the Society and the City Council. In theearly years, the record of achievements is impressive, withwork, for example, at Kennedy’s Bush, Dry Bush, AhuririReserve, Sugar Loaf and Cass Peak. Cliff was largelyresponsible for saving Dry Bush.

Shortly before his death in 1983, Cedric Turner publishedthumbnail sketches of what he termed the ‘Merry Geriatrics’:

“Cliff Holdsworth: Dedicated, desiccated, so sparely builtpeople wonder what is holding up the hat. Carries his ownfumigating plant. Apt to break into long discourses aboutnothing in particular. Expert in calligraphy. Has made a closestudy of various methods of writing and has developed ownstyle which nobody can read’”

(Acknowledgements: John Jameson for background information,and Jennifer Loughton for information taken from “50 Years Alongthe Road”.)

Mr & Mrs Bradley

Robin Collie

Tui Elliott

Jackie Griffith

Ron & Sue Ricketts

Total membership stands at 235. When compared to environmentalgroups, many of which have a declining membership, we shouldbe pleased that we are managing to maintain our numbers. Newmembers are always welcome of course, and you can do yourbit by telling your family, whanau and friends about us.

The collection and cataloguing of historical informationabout the Society is an ongoing task. If you have anyarticles, photographs, or any other information which mayadd to our historical record, please contact the Secretaryon 326 7330.

We would also like to welcome to the Society’s Board CouncillorAnnette Foster, representing Selwyn District Council, and CouncillorJeremy Agar, representing Banks Peninsula District Council. Weare also pleased that Paul de Spa and John Freeman were re-elected to the Spreydon/Heatcote and Hagley/FerrymeadCommunity Boards, and that both will be maintaining their closelinks with the Society.

President Maurice McGregor 332 0597

Vice-President Mike White 03 312 1551

Secretary John Goodrich 326 7330

Treasurer Paul Loughton 322 7082

Board Members Geoff Bendall 384 9254Barry Gerard 326 5105Anne Kennedy 377 0364Janey Thomas 03 314 9514John Watson 332 5169

Honorary Life Members John Jameson 354 5925Gordon Kirk 960 7134

RepresentativesSelwyn District Council Annette Foster 347 8651Banks Peninsula Jeremy Agar 328 9956Hagley/Ferrymead John Freeman 326 6406Spreydon/Heathcote Paul de Spa 041 8999Port Hills Rangers 332 5627Dept of Conservation Tony Woods 388 1678

Work PartiesEastenders Geoff Bendall 384 9254

Kiwigang Anne Henderson 352 8058

Ohinetahi Gordon Kirk 332 7134

Weekenders John Goodrich 326 7330

We are a voluntary society working to enhance, preserve and protect thenatural environment, beauty and open character of the Port Hills of BanksPeninsula for people to enjoy.We need and welcome contributions to our work through memberships,donations and corporate sponsorships, participation in work parties (non-members welcome - but why not join us as well!), and bequests.

Summit Road Society (Inc)PO Box 17-719, ChristchurchWebsite: www.summitroadsociety.org.nzEmail: secretary@summitroadsociety.org.nz

New Members Welcome

Request for Historical Information

Cliff Holdsworth

Upholding the tradition; the Eastenders hill work party contribute tothe upkeep our Port Hills walking tracks - in this instance the Whakaraupotrack overlooking Lyttelton.

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continued overleaf

MID-WINTER DINNER – Saturday 21 August

In a break from tradition for the Society, on Saturday 21st August, 24 members had a relaxing and entertaining eveningcourtesy of Lindsey and Siggy Sigglecow, at the Sign of the Kiwi. The food was excellent, with everyone encouraged tocreate a party atmosphere with Christmas decorations, party poppers and a competition to ‘create a reindeer’ with balloons.The Society would like to thank Lindsey and Siggy for their warm hospitality.

RAPAKI – Sunday 19 August

On Sunday 19th August, we were guests of TeHapü o Ngäti Wheke (Rapaki) Rünanga atRapaki. The visit started with a formal welcomeonto the marae, followed by a powhiri. Thiswas led by Ray Kamo on behalf of the tangatawhenua. Maurice McGregor represented themanuhiri (visitors) and spoke briefly about theSociety and its work.

After morning tea, Yvette Couch-Lewis spoketo us about some of the projects that are beingundertaken or planned at Rapaki, includingproposals for a new marae. We were then takenon a guided tour, where we were told of thehistory of the settlement by Cain Tauwhare (onthe beach, buffeted by a cold southerly!), heardabout the regeneration of the bush betweenRapaki and Pony Point, plans for a new seawall, the mataitai (protected customary foodgathering and fishing area), and the breedingsuccess of white-flippered penguins on QuailIsland/Otamahua, two of which have taken upresidence below the old school house at Rapaki.Yvette then took us to Omaru stream, andexplained the restoration work that had takenplace, and the plans to return the stream to itsformer glory.

The visit concluded with lunch in the wharekai,which was a great opportunity to mingle andtalk informally to members of the community.Mike White thanked Yvette and the Rapakicommunity on behalf of the Society. He echoedthe thoughts of all those present by highlightingthe views and values shared by the Society andthe tangata whenua in respect of the localenvironment, commenting on Yvette’s obviouscommitment and enthusiasm, thanking her formaking the Society feel so welcome, andexpressing the hope that the visit will signal amuch closer association with Rapaki.

(above) Yvette Couch-Lewis andCain Tauwhare

(right) Yvette speaks about the workbeing done on Omaru Stream

Society members learn about the history of Rapaki and the Port Hills

Mike White formally thanking Ian Hurst for his contribution to theOhinetahi Work Party

Recent Outings3

NGAIO MARSH HOUSE

– Sunday 31 October

The outing on Sunday 31st October wasa visit to the historic Ngaio Marsh Housein lower Cashmere. The house itself wasdesigned by leading Christchurcharchitect, Samuel Hurst Seager, and builtat the beginning of last century. Itcontains family treasures and antiquesfrom around the world, and gives aninsight into the background and workof Dame Ngaio Marsh, who was world-renowned as a fiction crime writer andShakespearean producer. The house isa ‘must’ for all those interested in localhistory. It is managed by a Trust, andthe entry fee of $10 goes towards themaintenance of the house and contents.

“Years ago Rapaki was claimed for usby our tupuna, Te Rakiwhakaputa, whoplaced his rapaki on the beach,securing the land that became ourturangawaewae. Later the hall wasnamed Te Wheke, after the youngestson of Te Rakiwhakaputa.

Our mountain Te Poho Tamatea wasname after the captain -the breast ofTamatea- of the Ngai Tahu wakaTakitimu. The mountain is significantas it is part of the the ngai tahu storyof the great waka Takitimu and itscaptain. The story of Te Poho Tamateais of the captain and crewarriving ontop of the mountain whena strom blow up and extinished hisfire stick he call to his tupuna and sangout a karakia for the great fires in thenorth to travel down and light his firestick so that they would be warm andto light their way home.

Whakaraupo means Whaka Harbourand raupo after the abundents of raupothat grew at the head of the harbour,which the people used for moki (smallsailing craft) and cooking.”

END OF BBQ– Friday 10 December

Despite the typical Decemberweather – wet, windy and cold– 25 members attended the endof year barbecue on Friday 10thDecember at Victoria Park. Wewould like to take thisopportunity of thanking PaulDevlin for the use of the PortHills Rangers’ tea room whichmade it possible to escape theweather.

The WesleyanChurch at

Rapaki

Members ofthe Society

and iwiKainga at

Rapaki

Our informative guide gave an interesting talk on the lifeof Dame Ngaio and the house has been set up as it waswhen she lived there.

LITTLE PORT COOPER – Sunday 28 November

An eager group of members heading for the historic LittlePort Cooper courtesy of the Stapleton-Smiths of Camp Bay.Views of the harbour are spectacular from this angle.

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A major milestone was reached on the25th November, when Professor AnnSmith and Dr Colin Meurk of LandcareResearch presented the reportcommissioned by the Society settingout the options for a ‘Regional Park’for the Port Hills. The report containedan action plan and some firmrecommendations, which are currentlybeing considered. There will definitelybe some positive steps taken early nextyear, including detailed discussions witha wide range of organisations, groupsand individuals with an interest in thePort Hills. Ann, a Society member, haskindly agreed to speak at the AGM on15th March about the ‘Regional Park’concept, and this will be a goodopportunity to for the widermembership to hear about progress.

This work has been a Society priorityduring the year, with a significantamount of time and effort from anumber of people. It is perhaps worthsummarising how we arrived at thisposition. Landcare Research’spresentation had the provocative sub-title of “Why hasn’t it happened yet?”.The concept of some form of overall

protection for the Port Hills pre-datesthe Society, and has been around for atleast 80 years. In recent times, largelyas a consequence of the increasedpressure on the hills, the debate hasintensified, and there have been anynumber of papers, reports anddiscussions. Whilst there is wideagreement about the need forprotection, there has been very littlework done on what form this protectionmight take. Understandably the use ofthe word ‘park’ with its connotations ofpublic ownership and control hasaroused suspicion, particularly amongstthose that own land and make a livingfrom it.

The Society therefore decided tocommission the preparation of a ‘visiondocument’, which would look at theoptions, the implications of these, andhow the concept might be implemented.The intention is for this report to formthe basis for consultation in the hopethat some firm action will result. Anumber of individuals/organisationswith relevant expertise were invited tosubmit proposals, and Landcare Researchwas appointed after a selection process.

The Executive was impressed with thelocal, national and internationalknowledge and experience that LandcareResearch could bring to the project. TheBoard agreed with the LandcareResearch team how the project wouldbe carried out, and detailed work startedin earnest in May, with a workshop. Thiswas followed by a significant amountof research, and discussions betweenLandcare Research and some of themajor stakeholders.

From the outset, it was recognised thatsome lateral thinking was needed tosecure wide support for the protectionmeasures that were felt necessary. It wasalso considered fundamental thatwhatever form the ‘Regional Park’ mighttake, it would have to allow for all normalactivity to take place, but against abackground of protecting what makesthe Port Hills special. We believe thatLandcare Research has come up with aproposal that can achieve just that.

The Society would like to acknowledgefinancial support from the CommunityTrust, which has made this importantproject possible.

Events for 2005

The first Outing of the year will bevisiting Kennedy’s Bush. As many ofyou know, Kennedy’s Bush was the firstScenic Reserve on the Port Hills, gazettedin 1908. Many early conservation effortswere concentrated here, and over theyears, the Society has taken an activerole in track creation and maintenance,planting and weed control. Kennedy’sBush was an early priority for the workparties established by Cliff Holdsworthand Cedric Turner.

Anne Henderson will lead the outing,and talk in more detail about the reserveand the Society’s work. Anne has beeninvolved with Kennedy’s Bush since1985, when she joined the ‘Kiwi Gang’and has spent countless hours onplanting, weed control and trackmaintenance. At the time she was also

the Society’s secretary, a position sheheld until 1993, and it was said thatshe “…wielded a grubber with as muchskill as her typewriter.” Earlier this yearshe announced her ‘retirement’, but areliable source has told us that as lateas the end of last month, she spentsome time tending the latest plantings.

The Society’s Annual General Meetingwill be held in mid-March, and we arecurrently finalising the date and venue.Professor Ann Smith from LandcareResearch has kindly agreed to speak atthe meeting. Whilst we have not yetfinalised details, her talk will be relevantto our current work on the RegionalPark concept.

We are planning to visit QuailIsland/Otamahua, where there will bea guided walk led by Colin Burrows,who will be talking about the historyof the island, and the current restorationprojects.

In recent years, for the April event, theSociety has had a display at theDepartment of Conservation’sCanterbury Conservation Day at theirMotukarara nursery. Currently, inconsultation with the various groupsthat support the Conservation Day, DoCis carrying out a review of the event.We will publicise the results of the reviewas soon as these are available.

The Activities and Promotions Committee is planning a full programme of events for 2005

February 27

March

March 20

April

Regional Park

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The Harry Ell Summit RoadMemorial Trust was set up by theSociety in 2002, with the expresspurposes of:

To receive funds for thefurtherance of the works of TheSummit Road Society(Incorporated)… and inparticular—

(i) To enable the Society topurchase or otherwise acquireland on the Port Hills

(ii) To generally further the worksof the Society by way of fundingthe ongoing maintenance oftracks and other facilities

To invest funds received in eitherapproved Trustee investments orin projects which may bepromoted or endorsed by theSociety.

The Society shares with many othergroups and individuals the growingacknowledgement of theimportance to Canterbury of thefinite Port Hills environment. Manypeople now point to the backdrop

of the Port Hills as Christchurch’sunique signature, and have askedhow they can assist in a tangibleway. To meet the above needs it isimportant that the Society hassubstantial funds on hand to takeadvantage of opportunities topurchase. The Society recognisesthat outright purchase on a willingseller/willing buyer basis is the bestway to protect open space. Fundsare also required for the continuedmaintenance of acquired land andongoing maintenance work.

If you are planning to make adonation, or arrange a bequestwhich is intended to help topreserve the Port Hills, or indeedknow anyone in this position, wewould ask you to consider the meritsof placing the donation or bequestwith the Trust.

It is worth remembering that ouracquisition of Ohinetahi Reservewas only made possible bybequests. This land has beenprotected by an Open SpaceCovenant and is available for all toenjoy.

The purchase, protection, enhancement of open spaces on the Port Hills for all to enjoy

The Harry Ell Summit Road Memorial Trust

For further information please contactthe TreasurerPaul Loughton

322 7082

Dr Cockayne and Harry Ell [1904]

The Port Hills

Primeval beauty

Outpourings of lava

Rain and wind their sculptors

Transient this land is not

Healing comfortable shapes

Irreplaceable deep rooted in time

Liberally given for all to share

Leave them untouched

Serene Ageless And Forever

                            Joy Boyd

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Resource Management Round Up

Awaroa/Godley Head:The proposals for a coastal Park werementioned in the last Newsletter.Submission hearings took place on the19th/20th August. The submissions arestill being considered by Christchurch CityCouncil and the Department ofConservation.

Christchurch City Council’s draftBiodiversity Strategy:This is an important document, whichsets out to ensure the conservation andenhancement of Christchurch’sbiodiversity. It has a vision of achieving:

“A Garden City internationally renownedfor the conservation, restoration anddisplay of its unique natural biodiversity.

Local communities working together tosustain the full range of species andhabitats which are special to the PortHills, coast, plains and waterways andwetlands of Christchurch.”

The draft strategy explains what is meantby biodiversity, and contains goodsummaries of the issues relating to birds,plants, reptiles, fish, freshwaterinvertebrates, terrestrial invertebrates,animal pests and plant pests.

The vision for the Port Hills is:

“This distinctive hill landscape has itsnatural remnants of podocarp forestconnected in the next 50-100 years;gullies are revegetated to createconnections to the Heathcote River andthe mixed urban woodland suburbs ofthe Port Hills. Forested connectionsbetween the inner Lyttelton Harbourand Christchurch city support movementof birds, invertebrates, and lizards. Effortsare made in the next 10-20 years tomaximise natural regeneration and buildon habitat connections with flax gulliesand cluster plantings of totara, matai,kowhai, ti kouka, kaikomako, mahoe,kanuka and narrow-leaved lacebark.

Grazing of grasslands is managed sothat silver tussock communities aremaintained, soil conservation ismaximised, and sediment loss isminimised. Integrated catchmentmanagement is underway to regulate

surface water flows in each catchment,and the amount of sediment reachingthe Heathcote River.

The Port Hills continue to be managedfor their unique mix of ecological,historical, cultural, landscape andrecreational values”

The Society has indicated its support forthe strategy, and made some detailedcomments. Part of the strategy is to createa ‘Biodiversity Plan’ for the Port Hills,and we expect to be involved in this.Copies may be obtained from the CivicOffices and Service Centres, and it isavailable on the Council’s website.

Selwyn District Plan:This has now been adopted by SelwynDistrict Council. There are two importantprinciples in the Plan relating to the PortHills. The first is that the whole of thePort Hills within the Selwyn District abovethe 60m contour is classified as“Outstanding Landscapes and NaturalFeatures” in accordance with the ResourceManagement Act. The second is that thePort Hills have been split into the “lowerslopes”, below the 160m contour, andthe “upper slopes” above this. The Plancontains different subdivision rules foreach of these. The minimum area forsubdivision on the lower slopes is 40haand on the upper slopes, 100ha. This isa significant change, as the draft planhad a minimum area of 40ha for thewhole of the hills. The area below the60m contour is classified ‘Inner Plains’,with a subdivision minimum of 4ha.

We understand that there have been anumber of appeals against the plan,which may take as long as two years toresolve. However, it is pleasing to knowthat there are now agreed criteria againstwhich to judge any new resource consentapplications.

Banks Peninsula District Plan:The Society presented a submission tothe hearing into the proposed variationto the Rural Provisions of the Plan on 8thJuly. The main argument in thesubmission was that the whole of the PortHills should be considered an“Outstanding Natural Features andLandscape Area” rather than the smallsections proposed. We drew the

Commissioner’s attention to the fact thatthis was consistent with the classificationused by both Christchurch City Counciland Selwyn District Council. The counter-argument is of course that the whole ofthe Peninsula is outstanding, and thatlines must therefore be drawn aroundthe most important features. We disagreewith this view, and firmly believe thatthe proximity to Christchurch andLyttelton, bringing with it greater pressurefor recreation and development, justifiesthe whole of the Port Hills being treateddifferently. We are still waiting for adecision on the submissions.

Kennedy’s Bush Road:In the last Newsletter, we reported thatapplication for the subdivision had beendeclined at the Environment Court, thejudge concluding that it could not beconsidered in isolation, and that acomprehensive approach to the wholeof the Landsdowne Valley is required.Initially, the developer appealed thisdecision, but subsequently withdrew theappeal. For the time being, therefore,further ‘urban creep’ in this area hasbeen halted. However, we anticipate thatthis area will continue to be underpressure, and be one that the Society willneed to monitor closely.

Concessions in Christchurch CityCouncil Parks and Reserves:The Council is becoming increasinglyconcerned about the ad hoc nature ofthe use by commercial organisations ofcouncil owned/controlled land.Accordingly a policy has been draftedfor public consultation. The Society hasconfirmed its overall support for thepolicy, particularly as it seeks to protectparks and reserves, and seeks to ensurethat public use and enjoyment is notaffected by any commercial activities.However, we did raise some concernsabout the need to ensure that organisedactivities such as those arranged by theSociety and similar groups, club activities(eg climbing or mountain-biking),educational activities (eg the Polytechnic)are not caught up in the process. Theseare all of course examples of thetraditional (and free!) activities that areso precious to those who enjoy the PortHills.

The Resource Management area continues to be busy,although during the last six months there have not been anymajor issues to address. We would still like to strengthen theResource Management Group, so that we can be moreproactive, keep ‘ahead of the game’, and have an agreedposition on the next big issues. One way of doing this coulda ‘forum’ twice a year. If you are interested in this vital areaof the Society’s work, please contact the Secretary. We arealso reliant on members to bring issues to our attention. Wehave many eyes and ears, and are normally kept well informedby the local authorities. However, there are inevitably thingsthat we miss. If you know of any issues that you feel shouldconcern the Society, please do not hesitate to contact thePresident or the Secretary.

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Websites of Interest

NEW ZEALAND CONSERVATION VOLUNTEERSThis website covers voluntary conservation projects nationwide, with links to the websitesof number of other organisations. The Society is registered with NZ ConservationVolunteers as a ‘project’ (“… Perhaps one of the better examples of project descriptionnow on the site is that for the Summit Road Society….”). We subscribe to its quarterlynewsletter. The site now has 11,000 visits per month. As well as details of a numberof projects, other interesting websites are mentioned. NZ Conservation Volunteers canbe found at:www.conservationvolunteers.org.nz

LANDCARE TRUSTThis website is titled “New Zealand’s independent organisation on landcare, sustainablemanagement, and biodiversity”. The Landcare Trust is an independent trust set up tosupport, encourage and empower local groups. The website has details of a numberof projects throughout the country, and detailed information about resources that areavailable to help voluntary groups. Locally, the Trust has given considerable supportto the Banks Peninsula Trust. It can be found at:www.landcare.org.nz

It goes without saying that government andlocal body websites are a very valuableresource. The main ones of relevance to theSociety are:

CHRISTCHURCH CITY COUNCILwww.ccc.govt.nzEasy to find your way round, and thereis always detailed information aboutcurrent issues and any strategies orpolicies for public consultation.

MINISTRY FOR THE ENVIRONMENTwww.mfe.govt.nz

THE PARLIAMENTARYCOMMISSIONER FOR THEENVIRONMENTwww.pce.org.nzThe PCE is an independent office ofParliament, set up to provide advice togovernment on environmental issues.The website has a number of reports,some of which are relevant to theSociety’s work. Examples are a report onBanks Peninsula, and one dealing with‘iconic’ landscapes close to urban areas.The Commissioner, Dr Morgan Williams,has a particular interest in Christchurch& Banks Peninsula, and is a strongadvocate for finding a new (to NZ) modelto ensure protection of the whole area.

DEPARTMENT OF CONSERVATIONwww.doc.govt.nzThis not only contains news on currentconservation issues, but is also useful forgeneral information on the conservationestate, tramping etc.

ENVIRONMENT CANTERBURYwww.ecan.govt.nzAgain, the site has a wealth ofinformation about current conservationissues and initiatives in the CanterburyRegion.

There are a number of websites that may interest members; a few are mentioned below. If you have a favourite site that youthink will interest other members, please let me know. Remember that the Society has its own website at:www.summitroadsociety.org.nz

FOREST AND BIRDMany Society members will be members of the Royal Forest and Bird Protection Society.Not surprisingly, this website contains a wealth of information about the current issuesaffecting the environment. The address is:www.forestandbird.org.nz

QE II NATIONAL TRUSTThis trust was set up to protect privately owned ‘open space’ for future generations.67,000 ha of land have now been protected by covenant or protection agreements,including the Society’s own Ohinetahi Reserve. In addition to information about thehelp that the Trust can give to landowners, the site has details about projects nationwide.The Society receives the Trust’s magazine, ‘Open Space’. QE II National Trust can befound at:www.qe2.org.nz

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