Can New Zealand's Covenanting Agencies Meet the Challenge of the Biodiversity Strategy?

In February 2000 the New Zealand Government released its national Biodiversity Strategy with significant emphasis on the role of central and local government, communities and private landowners in achieving biodiversity conservation on public and private land. New Zealand has had provisions in legislation for the protection of biodiversity on private land for more than 70 years. There are now a wide range of of purposes and management flexibility within the nine types of covenants administered by the Department of Conservation (DoC) and the Queen Elizabeth National Trust's (QE II National Trust) Open Space covenants. In addition a small number of territorial local authorities (TLAs) manage private covenanting schemes, the most notable being the Auckland Region by Rodney and Franklin District Councils. Funding appears to be the critical issue for covenanting agencies being able to meet the objectives of the NZ Biodiversity Strategy affecting the ability of agencies to fund survey, administration, fencing, pest management and landowner advice. Unless funding is addressed landowners will be left shouldering most of the burden of conservation management, planning and funding for these areas and the tide may not have turned for biodiversity protection and enhancement on private land.