{"id":44134,"date":"2021-06-15T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2021-06-14T12:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.farmersweekly.co.nz\/concern-over-sna-costs\/"},"modified":"2021-06-15T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2021-06-14T12:00:00","slug":"concern-over-sna-costs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.farmersweekly.co.nz\/news\/concern-over-sna-costs\/","title":{"rendered":"Concern over SNA costs"},"content":{"rendered":"Reading Time: <\/span> 2<\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span>

Although the National Policy Statement for Indigenous Biodiversity is not yet Government policy, the Far North District Council is suspending its SNA identification process after protests from M\u0101ori landowners, including a hikoi.<\/p>\n

The Far North District Council estimates 42% of the district on land owned by 8000 landowners could have areas of high ecological value.<\/p>\n

Local Government New Zealand (LGNZ) was asked for updated estimates of the cost of implementing the biodiversity policy, but did not provide the information by deadline.<\/p>\n

SDC environmental management planner Marcus Roy says a desktop analysis has identified about 3000 potential areas of significant vegetation or landscapes across the Southland district.<\/p>\n

If the biodiversity legislation becomes law, Roy estimates each site inspection will cost $3000, with the estimated total cost being $9m spread over the next 10 years.<\/p>\n

The law will require councils to map SNAs and categorise them as being of medium or high importance.<\/p>\n

The SDC will also have to map and inspect sites in two national parks, but Roy says data from the Department of Conservation (DoC) should accelerate that process.<\/p>\n

Successive council plans since 1994 have included rules relating to the clearance and modification of indigenous vegetation, which in almost all instances already triggers a resource consent process.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s anticipated that the SNA mapping process will better refine where and when resource consents are required,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

The council and Southland Federated Farmers have agreed to work together on SNA mapping if the policy proceeds.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe reality is that many landowners are already doing the work needed to protect these significant areas and adhering to rules regarding biodiversity clearance, which have been in place for a significant amount of time,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

The LGNZ\u2019s submission on the policy last year described the financial burden on some councils as \u201cuntenable\u201d, singling out the cost to ratepayers in Southland but also Manawat\u016b-Wanganui, where regional and territorial authorities will need to re-establish roles and rebuild compliant biodiversity programmes.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are particularly concerned about the burden this will place on ratepayers in areas with smaller rating-bases, which also tend to have more areas of indigenous biodiversity to protect,\u201d it said.<\/p>\n

While supporting the Government\u2019s focus on biodiversity, LGNZ says focus must be on maintenance not restoration, the Government must support councils and, to be successful, trust must be built with landowners.<\/p>\n

\u201cA combative approach with landowners or a solely government-led approach will not deliver long-term, durable outcomes for biodiversity,\u201d it said.<\/p>\n

Radio NZ reported that mayors from the West Coast, Southland, Mackenzie, Hurunui and Tasman councils report ratepayer unrest over the issue.<\/p>\n

Far North Mayor John Carter told RNZ that he had approached Te Tai Tokerau MP Kelvin Davis last week after large numbers of objections from landowners who had SNAs mapped on their properties.<\/p>\n

\u201cKelvin took our concerns to (Associated Environment Minister) James Shaw, and we have had a positive response from him to our proposal that we need to find another more positive way of dealing with this; we need more time and some help with resourcing as well,\u201d Carter said.<\/p>\n

He says Shaw had been receptive to the council\u2019s concerns.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhatever approach they decide to take will apply to other areas as well.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not just about M\u0101ori land, I\u2019ve talked to other mayors and it\u2019s been an issue nationwide,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"It will cost an estimated $9 million or $3000 per site for the Southland District Council (SDC) to map significant natural areas in its territory as required by the Government\u2019s proposed biodiversity strategy.\nThe cost to ratepayers of councils having to identify significant natural areas (SNAs) is starting to materialise, but resistance is growing from private landowners concerned at the imposition on their property rights.\n","protected":false},"author":25,"featured_media":44135,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_FSMCFIC_featured_image_caption":"","_FSMCFIC_featured_image_nocaption":"","_FSMCFIC_featured_image_hide":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t