Nearly 400 hectares of dense, mountainous forest near the Kaikoura Ranges in New Zealand, a stronghold for indigenous plants and native birds, will be protected in perpetuity. Source: Stuff NZ
One of Canterbury’s last untouched native forests will be protected for future generations under a new covenant.
Nearly 400 hectares of dense, mountainous forest near the Kaikoura Ranges, a stronghold for indigenous plants and native birds, will be protected in perpetuity.
Less than 9% of Canterbury’s native forest cover remains, one of the lowest rates in New Zealand.
Much of the remaining forest is in secluded areas near the Southern Alps, meaning intact examples are difficult to find.
The newly protected Mt Terako climbs into the clouds up a steep mountainside near the Mt Lyford ski area, between Hanmer Springs and Kaikoura. It is home to kea, kaka, and the eastern falcon, covering a variety of landscapes over 1000 vertical metres.
It has become the first area in New Zealand to be protected under the Queen’s Commonwealth Canopy (QCC) initiative, a program aiming to protect indigenous forest around the world.
More than 50 commonwealth countries have committed to the program, which marks Queen Elizabeth II’s 90th year.
New Zealand was among the first to join, with the government contributing NZ$1 million over three years.
Mt Terako was set aside by the farm’s owners, Peter and Sue Turnbull, who have admired the land since they bought the property in 1994.
“Part of the appeal was that area of bush,” Mr Turnbull said. “Two years ago we decided to step back from farming and decided we would like to protect that area.”
Governor General Dame Patsy Reddy at the unveiling of the Mt Terako covenant near the Kaikoura ranges.
New Zealand’s contribution to the QCC is being led by the Queen Elizabeth II national trust, which works to protect native forest on private land. Conservation minister Maggie Barry said Mt Terako was a significant area to protect, and was an ideal way to start the QCC initiative.
“It is very fitting, I think, that we are able to make the first covenant here in Canterbury, where less than nine per cent of the original forest cover still stands,” she said.
“The land being protected includes some of the last untouched forests in Canterbury, as well as a variety of other mountain ecosystems.”
Governor-general Dame Patsy Reddy said she had spoken to the Queen about the QCC initiative and New Zealand’s contribution in particular. Landowners such as the Turnbulls were vital in protecting the increasingly threatened indigenous forest, Reddy said.
“They took the long-view, beyond short-term economic gain, because they appreciated the inestimable value of the natural capital found in our remaining forests and wetlands.
“We owe them a huge debt.”
Ms Barry also announced NZ$1 million in funding to battle wilding pine in the North Canterbury high country.
Wildings have spread throughout Molesworth Station, New Zealand’s largest farm, which is choking native habitat and farmland.
Wildings cover 1.8 million hectares of land throughout New Zealand, advancing at a rate of 5% each year.
One conifer could turn into a forest within 20 years. It has been a scourge throughout the South Island in particular, prompting NZ$16 million in government funding over four years.
“We recognise the threat they pose not only to our nature but also to the primary sector economy,” Ms Barry said.
Wilding control would be done in 300,000 hectares of Amuri, including the St James station, which is a significant seed source contributing to the Molesworth infestation.
