Sowing the seeds for a better future brings award

Waitakere City Council’s efforts in developing a new threatened species policy designed to protect endangered plants on public land is one initiative that helped win it a prestigious award from the New Zealand Plant Conservation Network.

The 2009 Network Plant Conservation Award recognises the efforts of local government towards plant conservation in New Zealand, with Waitakere City Council undertaking a large number of conservation projects on the ground.

Councillor Brenda Brady, who received the award on behalf of the council, says the award recognises that Waitakere is proactive in trying to protect the New Zealand’s native plants.

“This award reflects the 17 years since we became an Eco City – 17 years of hard work by Waitakere’s enthusiastic and passionate staff and its elected representatives who have worked together to protect our native flora and fauna,” Councillor Brady says.

“The Waitakere Ranges Heritage Act, Project Twin Streams and Keep Waitakere Beautiful Trust are just a few of the environmental initiatives employed by Waitakere to help create an incredibly strong, community inspired green network,” she says.

In announcing the award the judges said that Waitakere “engaged contractors and volunteers to survey for threatened plants and was the first in New Zealand to develop an eco-sourcing policy for restoration plantings”.