Goals launched for conservation
Bay Conservation Alliance (BCA) was launched on Friday as part of National Conservation Week and with the support of Conservation Minister Eugenie Sage.
Founded by four Western Bay Community Conservation groups — Uretara Estuary Managers, Aongatete Forest Project, Maketu Ongatoro Wetland Society and Otanewainuku Kiwi Trust, Bay Conservation Alliance has been set up to support and grow community-led environmental restoration and nature conservation. Newer members include Te Whakakaha Trust and Friends of the Blade at Whakamarama.
“We are about harnessing the power and enthusiasm of small community groups, agencies and the wider community to develop bigger landscape-scale conservation projects,” said BCA chairman Julian Fitter.
“It is about joining the dots across both community groups and landscapes, by taking a smart regional approach to restoring nature and lightening the load by providing groups with shared support services.”
Aongatete Forest Project chairwoman Barbara McGillivray said they could see the benefit of joining BCA from the get-go.
“Care groups such as ours are very dependent on a few key volunteers. Our project has gained strength from joining with an “umbrella conservation organisation” which is easily identifiable as the ‘go to’ conservation hub.”
BCA is able to assist their group with administration, a good example being a standardised accounting system across all member groups, social media and marketing, volunteer administration and very importantly in the role of education facilitation.
“Aligning our project with BCA ensures the sustainability of our group, and even more importantly, gives confidence to potential donors to the course of Aongatete’s longevity.”
UEM chairman Lawrie Donald was instrumental in Coast Care and Estuary Care formation in the Bay of Plenty and built into these programmes was the ability to ensure there was the ‘collective’ to collaborate and learn from each small group to another.
He said, “I have to admit we (UEM) got involved to ensure we could influence where this group (BCA) was going.
“This collective is about the above process of being a body to assist and provide administrative and other assistance to community groups. The regional council and district councils in the Bay have been great and have assisted, and continue to assist community groups, but they are limited in their resources to provide assistance to community groups.”
The BCA is a body that can advocate for the environment, source funds and receive bequeaths from business and others for nature conservation within the Bay region, he said.
Friday’s launch was well attended by a range of groups, agencies, iwi and funders, with words of encouragement from the minister, Bay of Plenty Regional Council deputy chairwoman Jane Nees and DoC operations manager Jeff Milham.
“Recognising DoC cannot do it alone, the groundswell in community groups wanting to contribute to the restoration and improved health and management of the ngahere is growing. BCA is one of the first of its kind around New Zealand to recognise the need for the administrative support required to achieve this. Good planning, meeting legal requirements, having sufficient funds and increasing capability are the backbone of every successful project.
“Bay Conservation Alliance is providing that backbone and allowing those that prefer the ‘hands on’ conservation work to do the best job they can.”
BCA believes by empowering communities to restore nature, “together we can enrich our natural environment for the benefit of people and nature” and invite others to get involved. Visit www.bayconservation.nz or contact secretary David Peters 549-5084.