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Conservation projects get Biodiversity Funds

Thursday 13 September 2012, 2:19PM

By Kate Wilkinson

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Two areas of Canterbury native bush and a rare native plant will receive part of a $2 million grant to help with their preservation, Conservation Minister Kate Wilkinson said today.

The grants are part of 66 conservation projects to receive funding in the latest round of Government Biodiversity Funds.

“These projects are great examples of where the Government works with landowners to protect our native plants, animals and their habitats in areas outside of public conservation lands,” Ms Wilkinson says.

“It’s great news for these land owners to receive during Conservation Week 2012.”

The landowners of Duvauchelle Peak have worked with the Banks Peninsula Conservation Trust to protect the 18 hectares into a private reserve. A $32,624 grant will be used to fence the area to protect it from grazing and keep stock out of the headwaters of the community water supply.

A $2,745 grant for Kowai Bush - which is protected by a private reserve and QEII covenant - will assist the landowners to control animal pests such as possums, rats, mice, stoats and ferrets and protect the forest and native birds, bats, lizards and insects.

“Controlling pests at Kowai Bush will result in flow-on benefits for the nearby DOC-managed Lords Bush by enhancing bird-life in both areas.”

“In both these cases the landowners are doing their best to look after the native biodiversity on their land. With the fund we are able to give them a helping hand.”

A $6,208 grant will survey a population of the rare heart-leaf kohuhu at Okains Bay, previously thought to be locally extinct.

“This plant was first recorded in New Zealand on Banks Peninsula in 1844 and was rediscovered there this year, over 170 years later. These Canterbury plants are nationally important as the reference population for the species.”

The next Biodiversity Fund bidding round opens on 1 February 2013 for a month.

For further information see: www.doc.govt.nz/biodiversityfunds