We have received this pānui from the Ministry for the Environment regarding the New Zealand's 2020 Emissions Target Policy. We are aware they are NOT holding any public meetings in Northland, but there are other options for you to “have your say”:

Have your say!

International negotiations to address climate change are reaching a critical point, leading up to a major United Nations conference in Copenhagen late this year. The New Zealand Government is working actively to secure an effective global agreement.

As part of these efforts, we intend to publicly state New Zealand’s 2020 emissions target policy in August. We wish to hear your views so they can be taken into account when setting New Zealand's 2020 emissions target policy. To assist in that process, the Minister for Climate Change Issues the Hon Dr Nick Smith is holding a series of public meetings around the country this month.

You can have your say on New Zealand’s 2020 emissions target policy by:

• attending one of the meetings being held around the country (see list below)

• submitting questions for the Minister for Climate Change Issues’ online video conference to be held from 7.30pm on Monday 20 July at www.r2.co.nz. Questions can be submitted in advance at 2020target@mfe.govt.nz

• emailing or writing to the Minister with your views at nick.smith@ministers.govt.nz or Hon Dr Nick Smith, Minister for Climate Change Issues, PO Box 10362, WELLINGTON 6143.

We are producing an information brochure to help you understand the challenges associated with setting a 2020 emissions target. A link to the brochure will be set up in the next few days on http://www.climatechange.govt.nz

Get in quick! Act now!

To help us gauge numbers coming to the public meetings, please register your interest at the following link:

http://www.climatechange.govt.nz/survey/x09nz2020register.htm

Public meetings:

Projects from film making to creating habitats for New Zealand’s increasingly rare freshwater crayfish are among 19 school initiatives to share this year’s $20,000 Northland Regional Council Environmental Curriculum Awards (ECAs).

Northland Regional Council Environmental Education Officer Susan Botting says the annual awards aim to foster excellence in environmental education, with schools eligible for up to $2000 each for their efforts to educate children “in, about and for” the region’s environment.

This year’s 19 recipients will receive amounts between $443 and $1880 each for their projects.

“Once again, this year’s projects were impressive; both in their scope and their quality. Especially pleasing is the increasing role that students are playing in planning and designing them.”

She says the ECAs recognise and support the environmental education efforts put in by more than 2200 Northland students (aged five to 18) in 106 classes. Ten winning schools are based in the Far North, eight the Whangarei District and one in Kaipara.

The winning schools (in alphabetical order) and their projects are:

1. Kaikohe West School

Project: Gardens for Life

Funding: $891.96

Project Details: The school wants to continue building its Education for Sustainability programme by creating a new vegetable garden to help reduce its carbon footprint. More than 200 students (aged eight to 11) involved. Funding will contribute to the garden.

2. Kaitaia Abundant Life School

Project: Beyond Beauty

Funding: $1521.33

Project Details: Building the school’s visual appeal while boosting biodiversity through student-directed native plantings. Involves 230 students (aged eight to 11) with ECA funding used for native plants and other materials.

3. Kaitaia College

Project: Film 4 Sustainability

Funding: $958.20

Project Details: Producing a movie to enter New Zealand’s annual ‘Outlook for Someday’ sustainability-themed film competition. Funding will purchase film production equipment. Fifteen senior secondary students involved.

4. Karetu School

Project: Waste no Waste

Funding: $540.26

Project Details: Developing a school-wide waste management system to eliminate school waste via composting and recycling. Twenty-four students (aged nine to 13) involved and funding will pay for a three-bay composting bin.

5. Okaihau College

Project: Te Waharoa o Okaihau College – entranceway garden

Funding: $1264.32

Project Details: Creating a school entranceway garden ‘Te Waharoa O Okaihau College’ with a New Zealand natives theme. Funding will contribute to plants and materials and more than 60 students (aged 11 to 13) involved.

6. Onerahi School

Project: Glasshouse growing

Funding: $1333.33

Project Details: Setting up a glasshouse to grow natives for Onerahi’s newly developing local community wetlands and possibly Limestone Island. Funding will contribute to glasshouse purchase and 420 students (aged five to 10) participating.

7. Opononi Area School

Project: Outdoor learning area

Funding: $444.44

Project Details: School to develop outdoor classroom areas, Maori medicinal gardens and an edible garden. ECA funding will purchase four tables for students to work on and 140 students (aged nine to 17) participating.

8. Oromahoe School

Project: Bountiful Biodiversity

Funding: $177.77

Project Details: School to plant a corridor of 30 cabbage trees to honour its recent adoption of this native as the school’s logo. Funding will pay for the trees and 60 students (aged five to 12) taking part.

9. Otaika Valley School

Projects: Rere Whakaruru – Flight Haven (Butterfly Garden)

Funding: $443.35

Project Details: The school wants to create ‘Rere Whakaruru – Flight Haven’; a butterfly garden. Funding will help establish the garden. More than 80 students aged five to 11 participating.

10. Oturu School

Projects: Students for Bees: Bees for Students

Funding: $1000

Project Details: Re-establishing school beehives wiped out by varroa mite bee pest. Funding will buy beehive kits and 65 students (aged five to 13) involved.

11. Parua Bay School

Project: Parua Bay School Wildlife Walkway

Funding: $1850

Project Details: School to create a wildlife walkway on its land, en route to the foreshore. Funding will help buy metal for the walkway across school-owned land and 170 students (aged five to 13) participating.

12. Poroti School

Project: Garden to table

Funding: $1400.39

Project Details: School to upgrade its vegetable gardens with new boxing, compost and irrigation. ECA funding will help purchase an irrigation system and other materials with 35 students (aged five to 13) involved

13. Riverview School

Project: Project Kokano

Funding: $551.11

Project Details: Establishing purpose-built worm farm and planting native trees. ECA funding will pay for worm farm, some native trees and more than 300 students aged five to 11 participating.

14. Ruakaka School

Project: From Seed to Sustenance to Sustainability – the three S’s

Funding: $1450

Project Details: Setting up a greenhouse to supply seedlings for the school’s seven edible gardens. ECA funding will contribute to new greenhouse purchase and 155 students (aged five to 11) involved.

15. St Francis Xavier School

Project: Native Bird Gardens

Funding: $500

Project Details: Native tree planting project. Funding will buy trees and 40 students aged eight to 11 taking part.

16. Tangowahine School

Project: Magic Gardens

Funding: $1297

Project Details: School to expand garden and boost a natives area. Funding will buy native plants, an outdoor working table and other material. About 50 students (aged five to 12) involved.

17. Tikipunga High School

Project: The Watering Hole

Funding: $1688.89

Project Details: Students creating a restful Japanese-themed water feature in their school grounds ECA funding will help purchase of materials. A class of 30 students aged 11 to 18 will be participating.

18. Waima School

Project: Waima School’s growing journey and Koura enhancement

Funding: $1880

Project Details: Developing a koura (native crayfish) friendly waterway by clearing and planting natives along a school drain. Funding will help buy native plants and other materials. More than 50 students aged five to 13 participating.

19. Waipu School

Project: Garden Group – Edible garden

Edible Hedge

Funding: $802.57

Project Details: Extending school gardens to provide food for both students (on school camps) and birds. ECA funding will contribute to garden shed, pots and garden edging and 420 students (aged five to 10) involved.

Further information:

Susan Botting, Environmental Education Officer, Northland Regional Council

Ph: (09) 438 4639.

Endangered hammerhead sharks are often caught for their valuable fins

Many species of open ocean shark are under serious threat, according to an assessment by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

The Red list gives the status of 64 types of shark and ray, over 30% of which are threatened with extinction.

The authors, IUCN's Shark Specialist Group, say a main cause is overfishing.

Listed as endangered are two species of hammerhead shark, often subject to "finning" - a practice of removing the fins and throwing away the body.

This is the first time that IUCN Red List criteria, considered the world's most comprehensive inventory of the conservation status of plants and animals, have been used to classify open ocean, or pelagic, sharks and rays.

The list is part of an ongoing international scientific project to monitor the animals.

The authors classified a further 24% of the examined species as Near Threatened.

Sharks are "profoundly vulnerable" to overfishing, they say. This is principally because many species take several years to mature and have relatively few young.

Open ocean sharks are caught in high seas tuna and swordfish fisheries

"[But] despite mounting threats, sharks remain virtually unprotected on the high seas," said Sonja Fordham, deputy chair of the IUCN Shark Specialist Group and one of the editors of the report.

"[We have] documented serious overfishing of these species, in national and international waters. This demonstrates a clear need for immediate action on a global scale."

The UN Food and Agriculture Organization recognised the potential threat to sharks over a decade ago, when it launched its "International Plan of Action for the Conservation and Management of Sharks" in 1999.

But the "requested improvements fisheries data from member states... have been painfully slow and simply inadequate", according to this report by the IUCN.

Many pelagic sharks are caught in high seas tuna and swordfish fisheries.

Although some are accidentally caught in nets meant for these other fish, they are increasingly targeted for their meat, teeth and liver oil, and because of high demand, particularly in Asia, for their fins.

Discarded bodies

"The hammerheads are special because they have very high quality fins but quite low quality meat," explained Ms Fordham. "They often fall victim to finning."

She told BBC News that, although finning is widely banned, this ban is not always well enforced.

We've already had recommendations from scientists that there should be no fishing of these sharks Sonja Fordham IUCN Shark Specialist Group

"The EU finning ban is one of the weakest in the world," she said.

"The best, most sure-fire way to enforce a ban is to prohibit the removal of fins at sea.

"But in the EU, you can remove them, providing the fins you bring ashore weigh less than 5% of the weight of the bodies."

This rule was designed to prevent finning, but it provided "wiggle room", said Ms Fordham.

"The IUCN has estimated that, under these rules, you could fin and discard two to three sharks for every shark you keep, " she explained.

'No fishing'

Species listed as Vulnerable included the smooth hammerhead shark, the porbeagle shark and the common, bigeye and pelagic thresher sharks.

Fisheries have fought to keep their right to fish porbeagle sharks because their meat is so valuable, according to Ms Fordham.

"Yet we've already had recommendations from scientists that there should be no fishing of these sharks."

For certain species - that are considered particularly vulnerable - the authors have recommended their complete protection.

"The big-eyed thresher shark, for example, is very slow growing," explained Ms Fordham.

"Fishermen can very easily identify it, because it has a very big eye. So if they catch it accidentally, they can throw it back.

"These sharks tend to survive well when they're thrown back."

By the end of this year, the Shark Specialist Group will publish a complete report, outlining the status of all 400 species of shark, and closely-related skates and rays.

This email provides information on kauri dieback for the whole of New Zealand. It has information on what kauri dieback is, the symptoms of the disease and how you can help stop it spreading. You can also find our fact sheet, technical documents and links to the organisations involved in the joint response to the disease. If you have problems downloading images from this email, please click here.

The collaborative response to address kauri dieback includes MAF Biosecurity New Zealand, the Department of Conservation, Auckland Regional Council, Northland Regional Council, Environment Waikato and Environment Bay of Plenty. They are working together as one team to ensure the integrity of kauri ecosystems remains, to protect high value kauri areas and iconic kauri trees.

What is Phytophthora taxon Agathis?

Commonly known as PTA, Phytophthora taxon Agathis is a microscopic fungus-like plant pathogen (a disease causing agent) that only affects kauri. Recent research has identified PTA as a distinct and previously undescribed species of Phytophthora.

What does it do to kauri trees?

Symptoms include yellowing of foliage, loss of leaves, canopy thinning and dead branches. Affected trees can also develop lesions that bleed resin, extending to the major roots and sometimes girdling the trunk as a ‘collar rot'. PTA can kill trees and seedlings of all ages.

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How is it spread?

PTA is believed to be a soil-borne species spread by soil and soil water movement, plant to plant transmission through underground root-to-root contact, and human and animal vectors.

Where did it come from?

Formally identified in April 2008, its closest known relative is a chestnut pathogen from Korea (Phytophthora katsurae). The assumption is that it is an exotic pathogen. However nothing is known about this particular species overseas.

Where is it?

PTA has been found at Huia and Maungaroa Ridge in the Waitakere Ranges Regional Park and at Department of Conservation reserves at Great Barrier and Trounson Kauri Park in Northland.

Symptoms of kauri dieback have also been observed at Cascade Kauri in the Waitakeres and other sites in Rodney, Franklin, Waitakere and the North Shore, as well as Pakiri, Albany, Okura and the Waipoua Forest.

What can we do to stop it spreading?

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• Make sure shoes, tyres and equipment are clean of dirt before and after visiting kauri forest
• Clean shoes and any other equipment that comes into contact with soil after every visit, especially if moving between bush areas
• Keep to defined park tracks at all times. Any movement of soil around the roots of a tree has the potential to spread the disease
• Keep your dog on a leash at all times. Dogs can inadvertently spread the disease if they disturb the soil around the trees
• Read these operational papers:

Hygiene Procedures (SOP) for those working in kauri areas.pdf

Kauri-tree-removal-and-pruning-SOP.pdf

What should I do if I have kauri on my land?

• Minimise movement around kauri tree roots
• Keep dogs and animals away from kauri trees
• Download a warning sign and put it up to alert visitors to the dangers of spreading the disease. This can be laminated to make it more durable.
• If you think your trees have PTA symptoms contact the Kauri Dieback Response Team on 0800 NZ KAURI (69 52874).

Protect our kauri A4 sign.pdf

If you need a more durable sign please contact the Kauri Dieback Response Team on 0800 NZ KAURI (69 52874). 

Will parks or reserves be closed?

At this stage there are no plans to close parks or reserves, but it is something we may have to consider in the future.

What is being done?

The Kauri Dieback Response Team is currently:

• Assessing the risk posed by the organism to individual trees and their ecosystem
• Determining methods and their feasibility to limit the spread of the pathogen through the application of appropriate measures
• Collecting further information to inform a response decision (how widespread and what we can do about it)
• Ensuring a coordinated inter-agency approach to Phytophthora taxon Agathis including the appropriate management of communications and information

Contact

For more information, or to report any suspect sightings of diseased kauri on public or private land, phone the Kauri Dieback Response Team on 0800 NZ KAURI (69 52874)

Project Island Song – restoring the biodiversity of the eastern B.O.I.

Waewaetorea Planting Day - Sunday 12th July

70 volunteers are needed to plant native plants on Waewaetorea. Waewaetorea is a 47 hectare island next to Urupukapuka Island and although cattle were removed from it in the early 1990s, natural revegetation has been impeded by intensive kikuyu growth.

The plan is to plant about 1400 native plants in a small catchment facing Okahu passage. This is the 6th year of planting and will add to the 6600 plants of previous years.

Fullers have again very generously offered their large catamaran for transport at no charge and the crew will also donate their time at no charge.

• The boat will leave Paihia wharf at 0930 sharp. Be there by 0910. Return trip will leave the island at 3pm with ETA Paihia 3.30 pm approx.
• The boat will call at Russell if required. Please advise Rob (contacts below) if you intend to embark at Russell.
• Bring clean (and sharp) spade, lunch, water, towel, and waterproof jacket. Boots and spades must be clean to avoid spreading weeds and muddying the boat. Take a plastic bag to cover your spade for transport
• A reasonable level of fitness is required as some of the terrain is steep and carrying plants is involved.

If you are interested it is essential that you contact Rod Brown preferably by email to summerhouse@xtra.co.nz or phone 09 407 4294, fax  09 407 4297 in case the planting day has to be postponed because of the weather or any other reason.

One reason for postponement could be if the second aerial rat drop, for which 3 days of fine weather are needed conflicts with this planting day.

Rod Brown

For Guardians of the B.O.I.

The Ornithological Society has extended an open invitation to anyone interested in learning more about the birds around our harbours to join them this weekend. Contact Detlef at the number below  for details.

OSNZ Wader Weekend 27, 28 June

G'day Members and Friends

Next weekend we are going north for our regular wader-watch, counting birds which for whatever reason have not migrated to the Arctic to breed & spotting any leg bands or flags. Plan is to drive up on Friday night & stay 2 nights at Forest & Bird's Arethusa Cottage, spending Saturday at Parengarenga Harbour & Sunday around Rangaunu Harbour. If you would like to come please let me know as soon as possible, the cottage sleeps 6 (but other places are available).

Good birding.

Detlef

Far North Regional Rep.

09 407 3874

Nau mai, Haere mai, Welcome

Public Meeting to Launch a Community Development Plan for the Taipa - Oruru - Peria Area

Taipa Bay Beach Resort 7pm Wednesday 24th June

A Community Development Plan is an exercise undertaken by a representative group from a community, at the invitation of the Far North District Council. An officer of the Council assists the community with the process, but the community essentially creates the plan.

Basically, the Community Development Plan produced by the community is an expression of how the community would like its town to develop over the next 15 -20 year period. The plan is given a guiding, ‘visioning statement’ which sets the over all tone of the plan and describes the direction the community want to go in. The plan is also normally broken into sections which focus on areas of interest for the community, such as environmental issues, educational, recreational and cultural concerns and business opportunities.

When a draft plan has been created, the group responsible for its creation seeks endorsement from the community. Once the community is satisfied the plan expresses their desires for the future, the final plan is presented to the Council’s Community Board. Once the plan is in Council, Department Managers advise on the feasibility, costs and possible timeframes for projects Council might be involved with. Normally, a plan contains material which involves Regional Council, other agencies and Central Government issues also. The Council can sometimes assist the community to work with these other groups.

Essentially, a ‘Community Development Plan’ can be seen as a ‘Blueprint’ for a community’s future in that it can serve as a rallying point for community action, because many of the projects in a plan can be conducted by the community themselves. It can also be viewed as a communal submission to Council planning processes, such as the LTCCP, because the plan goals, if adopted by Council, will guide Council’s own planning, activity and expenditure.

A community development plan can only be effective if it is created and driven by a broad range of committed people from all parts of the community. It also requires strong, positive interest from the wider community, who need to ensure their concerns and ideas for the future of their town are reflected by the plan. Please feel welcome to attend on Wednesday evening, and play a part of the future of your community.

Trevor Norton

General Manager Strategic Development and Governance

FAR NORTH DISTRICT COUNCIL

Residents of some of Northland’s most flood-prone communities are being invited to meet with local authorities to update existing knowledge about - and help find possible solutions to – flooding issues.

The Northland Regional Council will from late June hold a dozen meetings around the region as part of the first round of public consultation for its ‘Priority Rivers Flood Risk Reduction Project’.

Bruce Howse, the Council’s Land/Rivers Senior Programme Manager, says the project has initially identified 27 catchments around Northland as priorities for flood risk planning, all but a few in the Far North District.

“These 27 have been prioritised because of the potential threats the rivers and streams in them pose to lives, buildings, road access, infrastructure and agriculture. We’re proposing to work with affected communities to prioritise and develop tailor-made plans to reduce flood risks over the next several years.”

Mr Howse says one of the first parts of that process will see a series of 12 public meetings held around the region from 29 June to 14 July.

Below is the schedule of public meeting for the initial phase of this project.

He says the Regional Council has already carried out a great deal of work on the project over the past six months, including detailed surveys of the land in the catchments which is being used to help develop computer flood models.

“Initially, we’re keen to work with affected communities and stakeholders to build on what we already know about the size of floods and who they affect. We’ll also be asking the community to tell us about the places and things they’re especially keen to protect in their local area, for instance schools and marae.”

He says the information gathered will enable appropriate flood risk reduction options to be identified, assessed and developed and initial flood risk reduction plans for the affected catchments should be completed by June 2010.

“The various actions suggested in them to reduce flood risks will then be prioritised for implementation after further public consultation.”

Mr Howse says at their simplest, flood risk reduction options could range from changes in local authority planning processes to prevent development which could increase risks in flood-prone areas.

“At the other end of the scale, they could call for physical construction of things like stopbanks and other potentially costly infrastructure.”

He says the question of who will pay for any proposed works will be addressed after consultation later in the process, but typically local communities – who stand to benefit the most – would probably meet the costs.

People wanting to know more about the project can visit the Council’s website www.nrc.govt.nz/priorityrivers, or contact:

Bruce Howse
Land/Rivers Senior Programme Manager
Northland Regional Council
Ph: 0800 002 004
Email: mailroom@nrc.govt.nz

Below is the schedule of public meeting for the initial phase of this project: