Council's Environmental Programmes
Council is proud to be working with our community to protect our wildlife and land and make sure our district’s environment has a sustainable future.
There are a number of Council led environmental programmes that are aimed to help our community members increase and protect our district's biodiversity.
- Check out some of the environmental community groups and projects that operate in Kaikōura, and find out how you can get involved here.
- Find out more about our district's biodiversity here.
Significant Natural Areas (SNA) Programme
Kaikōura District has numerous public reserves and protected conservation areas, the largest of which is the Seaward Kaikōura Ranges. A Council study to identify all significant natural areas on private land has so far identified possible 155 sites.
Under Section 6(c) of the Resource Management Act 1991, Council has a responsibility to recognise and provide for the protection of areas of “significant indigenous vegetation and significant habitats of indigenous fauna” as a matter of national importance. The SNA Project works with landowners to identify, protect and manage areas of significant biodiversity on their properties.
The District Plan also details policies and implementation methods for the SNA Programme.
The SNA Working Group will help guide the Significant Natural Area Programme (SNA) in Kaikōura. This includes working with landowners throughout the district to manage and protect significant areas of biodiversity on their properties. The SNAWG will also provide advice to Council on policies and implementation methods for the SNA programme.
The goal is to improve native habitats and help build the districts biodiversity.
The District Plan is currently being reviewed. Part of the review is expected to help confirm direction and set community expectation around the SNA programme.
What is a covenant?
An agreement or contract. Every covenant has its own particular requirements.
Read more about QEII covenants here.
What is a significant natural area?
The Resource Management Act 1991 places a responsibility on local authorities (Council) to protect areas of significant indigenous vegetation and significant habitats of indigenous fauna. How this should be done varies between regions and it is up to the Council to work with local land owners individually.
Significant natural areas in Kaikōura
Kaikōura District has numerous public reserves and conservation areas including the Seaward Kaikōura Ranges, which is the largest area of protected land. Council completed a study to identify all of the significant natural areas on private land in the District - so far 155 sites have been identified.
If you are considering protecting a significant natural area on your land, contact Kate Hunt at Kaikōura District Council on (03) 319 5026 extension 211 or kate.hunt@kaikoura.govt.nz for more information.
21 September 2018
Sally Blunt and her late husband Tim have owned their 89ha property 'Sophora' since 2000 and have been undertaking weed control and native planting since then.
Sally and Tim won a Weed Busters award in 2008, and currently Sally has 6 QEII covenants on the property. Ecologically threatening weeds such as Old Mans Beard, wandering Willie, barberry, hawthron, blackberry and gorse have all been targets in the effort to clear weeds from the property. Whilst predominantly secondary forest, the 6 covenant blocks each contain a range of plant species, including 4 podocarps and several species of special interest.
Sally has been credited as having "a huge amount of drive and passion along with an encyclopedia like knowledge of her flora, her surrounding environment and of the nasties that threaten their piece of paradise," says Jodie Denton, who nominated Sally and Tim for the Weed Busters award in 2006. "Listening to her, it became evident that she spends hour upon hour, particularly in the creek areas, dealing to wandering willie, woolly clematis and other bits and pieces that have made their way into the system from further above. I was very impressed with her determination and energy to keep them all at bay. It is obvious that her goals are very much in line with what is expected of a QEII Covenanter; to keep special areas as weed and pest free as possible in order to allow the native to thrive in its natural state."
Today the property is mostly covered in regenerating native bush (kahikateas, totara, manuka and kanuku), with over 200 varieties of plants! A section of the property is still a working farm. Work has been ongoing since the purchase of the property to plant natives, adding to what is already there - all of it is flourishing and has created a good nature trap on the property for pest control.
Sally highly recommends working with QEII National Trust if you are thinking about creating a significant natural area. Her goals for creating a significant natural area was to protect the bush, and QEII were "encouraging, and made the process so easy" she says.
Thinking about creating a significant natural area on your property?
Contact Kate Hunt at Kaikōura District Council on (03) 319 5026 extension 211 or kate.hunt@kaikoura.govt.nz
Kererū to Kaikōura Native Planting Project
Landowners can apply for funding to help to create large areas of native habitat on their land thanks to the Kererū to Kaikōura Native Planting Project.
The project aims to create stepping stones for native birds from the mountains to the sea, creating a native habitat pathway to bring birds and other wildlife to Kaikōura. Landowners can now apply for funding to plant native plants in areas of 1000m2 or more in the Kaikōura Flats area, where there is little native cover left.
Applications are open now – get in touch for more information or to apply for funding.
Download the funding guidelines.
Contact Kate Hunt at Kaikōura District Council on (03) 319 5026 extension 211 or kate.hunt@kaikoura.govt.nz for more information.
Council will contribute $1 per plant up to a maximum of $1000 in total per project.
Your planting project must:
• Be a minimum of 1000 square metres in one space
• Be a minimum of 5 metres in width (3 plants wide)
• Be a minimum of 500 plants
• Consist of suitable locally sourced native plants
• Spacing of (generally) 1.5 metres between plants.
Larger projects can be staged and receive multiple funding contribution. Landowners are responsible for ongoing maintenance and management of the planting, with assistance from Council if needed.
Your planting project will not be funded if exotic plants or native species not naturally found in the Kaikōura Region are used, or if the project is being undertaken as a condition of resource consent.
1. Landowner submits a filled out application. This should include:
- Project location (plan view of the area to be planted)
- Planting list
- Timetable
- Work programme (including site preparation, planting and maintenance for first two years).
2. Council replies – provides a letter or email confirming assistance is available.
3. Landowner carries out planting work.
4. On completion, landowner provides Council with an invoice for Council’s share of planting costs (as outlined in letter of agreement).
5. Council arranges to visit the planting site and can provide advice for ongoing maintenance, and requirements.
6. Council reimburses landowner.
7. Maintenance and management of planted area is carried out by the landowner.
Small trees and shrubs (1-5m):
- Flax/harakeke (Phormium tenax)
- Toetoe (Cortaderia richardii)
- Lancewood (Pseudopanax crassifolius & P.ferox)
- Tree Fuchsia (Fuchsia excorticate)
- Coprosma (Coprosma robusta, C. lucida & C. propinqua)
- Korokio (Corokia cotoneaster).
Tall trees (5-20m):
- Kahikatea (Dacrycarpus dacrydioides)
- Rimu (Dacrydium cupressinum)
- Hinau (Elaeocarpus dentatus)
- Halls/Mountain Totara (Podocarpus hallii)
- Narrow-leaved lacebark (Hoheria angustifolia)
- Totara (Podocarpus totara)
- Miro (Prumnopitys ferruginea)
- Matai (Prumnopitys taxifolia)
- Cabbage Tree (Cordyline australis)
- Kanuka (Kunzea ericoides)
- Lemonwood (Pittosporum eugenioides)
- Ngaio (Moporum laetum)
- Pigeonwood (Hedycarya arborea)
- Broadleaf (Griselinia littoralis)
- Nikau (Rhopalostylis sapida)
- Kowhai (Sophora microphylla)
- Wineberry (Aristotelia serrata).
The Kaikōura Flats have less than 20% of native cover left, making it a high priority restoration area for the Ministry for the Environment.
This project helps support Council’s Significant Natural Areas (SNA) Project as part of the Resource Management Act.
Under Section 6(c) of the Resource Management Act 1991, Council has a responsibility to recognise and provide for the protection of “significant indigenous vegetation and significant habitats of indigenous fauna” as a matter of national importance.
EarthCheck
Kaikōura is Platinum Certified under the Earthcheck Sustainable Communities programme. EarthCheck is the world’s leading scientific benchmarking certification and advisory group for the travel and tourism industry. They work with governments, businesses and destinations to deliver clean, safe and prosperous destinations. Earthcheck was developed from the United Nations Environment Program and is based on Agenda 21.
Our Environmental and Social Sustainability Policy outlines our commitments.
To see how we are performing, read our Benchmarking Report
Volunteer: If you can spare an hour, a day, or part of a day for tree planting, site preparation, litter quitters or recycling.
Reduce Waste: Help us by recycling and buying products with reduced packaging. Recycle even while traveling - just drop your recycling into Innovative Waste.
Reduce energy and water use: Reuse your towels and linens, switch off your lights and unused appliances.
Fantastic No Plastic: Help us reduce waste and protect our marine environment by using Re-Usable Bags. Say NO to a plastic shopping bag.
Respecting our natural environment: Help us by acting responsibly, do not leave litter of any sort, use the public toilets, find out about natural history.
Public Recycling bins: use the 'Love NZ Recycling Bins' dotted around our town.
Trees for Travellers: A locally run replanting programme that helps offset carbon emissions, replant our native reserves and make people generally feel good about themselves. Buy a tree, plant a Tree or volunteer to help - find out more.
Walking and Cycling: Help us by hiring a bike or walking to explore our environment.
Respect our Coast: Follow fishing quotas and size limits.Keep your distance from marine mammals and remember they are wild animals not pets.
Kotahitanga mō te Taiao Alliance
Kotahitanga mō te Taiao ("Collective action for the Environment") is an Alliance formed by the Department of Conservation (DOC), all of the Councils (including Kaikōura District Council) and many of the iwi across the top of the South Island.
It aims to achieve landscape-scale conservation projects with social, cultural and economic benefits.
The Alliance has spent 2018 co-designing a Strategy to direct and guide where and how to work to achieve the best conservation outcomes for the region.
2019 is the year to put our Strategy to work and get more projects going, so watch this space...
Sustainable Living Programme
Kaikōura is part of the Sustainable Living programme. The Sustainable Living programme is a practical, fun way to learn and use actions to reduce environmental impacts at home.
See how to make a healthier, drier and warmer home or how you can easily reduce your waste to landfill. Other topics to explore are: home food growing, water efficiency, avoiding toxic chemicals, smart food shopping and preserving tips, reducing your power bill, eco-building design or house renovation suggestions, lower-carbon transport options, and community resilience.
Useful links
09 January 2019
