Regional policy statement released

Southland’s indigenous biodiversity is continuing to decline, with the highest rates of loss coming in the environments that are already the most threatened.

According to the Regional Policy Statement released by Environment Southland on Saturday, there has been ‘‘major decline’’ in the region’s biodiversity since the arrival of Europeans, but the full extent of the problem has never been determined.

The most substantial loss of native vegetation and habitats has been in coastal, lowland and mountainous environments, where much of the remaining native vegetation has no legal protection, the statement says.

Six types of habitats are listed as being ‘at risk’ in the statement, meaning only 20 to 50 per cent of its indigenous vegetation cover remains.

A further 11 habitat types are classified as ’threatened’ and 28 ’rare’. There are hundreds of locations representing these habitat types across the region.

The list was introduced following a number of submissions on the biodiversity chapter of the plan, which is open for further submissions until June 22.

The Regional Policy Statement says understanding the extent of loss, and maintaining and protecting the remaining native vegetation while restoring and enhancing other areas, are the regional council’s major biodiversity objectives.

In its proposed long-term plan, which will be discussed at a hearing on June 19, Environment Southland proposes to spend $38.56 million on enhancing biodiversity over the next decade.

Environment Southland policy and policy planner Anita Dawe said land development and clearance were just some of the pressures and threats against the remaining indigenous habitats and ecosystems.

These areas were a distinctive part of New Zealand’s natural environment, she said.

‘‘It is essential that government agencies, landowners, iwi and community groups continue to work together to ensure the long-term viability of indigenous ecosystems,’’ Dawe said.

The Regional Policy Statement addresses 17 issues in total, including water quality and quantity, air quality, energy and waste.

Environment Southland senior planner Kylie Galbraith said the statement did not contain any rules, but set up a framework for regional and district plans.

Each section contains objectives, policies and methods to address the issues, and includes measures to indicate whether the objectives have been achieved.

Galbraith said submitters who were unhappy with the decisions released on Saturday may lodge an appeal with the Environment Court within 30 working days, but only on points they submitted on.

All appeals had to be resolved before the statement became operative, and the biodiversity would go through the same process once its public submissions period closed on June 22, she said.

The present Regional Policy Statement has been in place since 1997.