Help Available for Owners of Covenanted Land
Media Release - 10 June 2008
Whangarei District Council has obtained $20,000 from Central Government's Biodiversity Fund to hire an ecologist to help private land owners who have covenanted areas of bush, wetland, duneland, scrub and river margins on their properties.
Covenants are a voluntary but legally binding way to ensure areas of ecological significance are protected from development, clearance and damage by stock. Throughout Whangarei District more than 700 areas have been covenanted by private land owners.
Whangarei District Council Senior Policy Planner David Coleman said the reasons for establishing a covenant were as wide ranging as the property owners themselves, but there were some common themes. Many people utilised covenants as a way to make a positive contribution to the environment.
"Some want to know they personally have protected a particular part of the environment and all the different species living there. Some see it as a way to provide their grandchildren with the chance to experience a place they themselves enjoyed. Some appreciate the dawn chorus and see covenants as a way to provide habitats for birds.
"In many cases people want to sub-divide an area and consider natural bush to be a selling point for their developments, so they combine subdivision with covenants to make the most of both worlds.
"Often those who establish covenants then want to know how to restore the habitat they have covenanted i.e. how to fence it to keep stock out, how to control possums, rats and pest plants, to allow native species such as kukupa, swamp maire, gecko and weta to survive.
"Some people want to find out what is unique and special about their covenanted area and if there is anything they can do, or should be doing, better.
"This is where our Biodiversity funding comes in. It will enable us to hire someone who can meet with covenant owners who want to know more about how to manage their areas and assist them create plans and monitor progress."
Mr Coleman said anyone who wanted to obtain the advice of the ecologist could make initial contact with David, Ph 09 430 4200 extn 8779 or WDC State of the Environment Co-ordinator Leigh Honnor, extn 8907
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