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Bio-what?

Bio-what? was the preliminary report of the Ministerial Advisory Committee on biodiversity to the Minister for the Environment. The report addressed the effects of private land management on biodiversity (i.e. all land not managed by the Crown for conservation purposes).

The report was developed after preliminary discussions with a number of stakeholder groups including representatives of farmers and conservation groups, as well as local authority planning staff.

Bio-what? made the following proposals:

  • a national goal
  • a national information system to identify areas important for meeting the national goal
  • the need for agreement between parties with different interests to act to sustain biodiversity (national accords)
  • clearer allocation of local authority roles and responsibilities
  • changes to legislation with implications for biodiversity
  • incentives to assist landowners better manage biodiversity.

The Ministerial Advisory Committee published a summary of submissions along with its final report in December 2000:

Relationship between the New Zealand Biodiversity Strategy and Bio-what?

In February 2000 the New Zealand Biodiversity Strategy was released. The Strategy was prepared partly to fulfil New Zealand’s obligations under the international Convention on Biological Diversity and partly in response to the findings of the State of the Environment Report.

It has become clear the provisions of the Resource Management Act are failing to protect significant indigenous species. The New Zealand Biodiversity Strategy proposes that a national policy statement under the Resource Management Act form part of a possible solution.

The Ministerial Advisory Committee was put together to advise on the possible content of a national policy statement and on any other measures that may be necessary to resolve the issue. Many of the Committee’s preliminary recommendations, as set out in its report Bio-what?, reinforce the actions promoted by the Biodiversity Strategy.

The issues and questions

There has long been tensions and questions about how to protect natural, publicly valued assets which are on private land. Many of the laws and institutions we have today (such as the QEII National Trust) are the result of earlier attempts to protect remaining natural areas. But questions about what rural landowners should be required to do, how they can be encouraged to act, whether they should be entitled to assistance and what part the wider community should play, have remained.

Rights and responsibilities are the source of disagreement in all walks of life – in conservation it is no different. They are emotive issues.

When you’re passionate about maintaining biodiversity, it is easy to get carried away with the importance of an area and demand its protection not recognising the cost and what it means for those who must bear it. Similarly, when you’re faced with someone telling you what to do with the land you worked hard to acquire and make productive, it is instinctive to dig your toes in and demand compensation – even if the costs are manageable and you have sympathy with the ultimate aim.

Bio-what? addressed these issues and came up with some suggested approaches. There is no doubt that the long term answer is having more landowners and their communities recognise the value of biodiversity and be motivated to do what they can to sustain it.

Last updated: 12 March 2008