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Friday 24 September 2021
‘Moonshot’ ecology project
View over Old Man Range towards Farewell Spit, part of a large area in northern Golden Bay included in Onetahua Restoration Project. Photo: Jo Richards. JO RICHARDS
An ambitious “moonshot” project aimed at eliminating predators from a large area in the north of Golden Bay is undergoing a low-key launch. The Onetahua Restoration Project – a collaboration between the Department of Conser vation, iwi and the Tasman Environmental Trust – is currently carrying out a preliminary study to gauge the feasibility of the initiative. The proposed area – well in excess of 100km2 – encompasses all territory bounded by the sea north of Pakawau Bush Road, including Farewell Spit. As the area includes large tracts of private land, the success of the project will depend on the degree of buy-in from landowners and the wider community. Tony Bateup the project’s community liaison, is spending time out and about visiting landowners, listening to their views and concerns, and providing information about the project. So far, he’s identified close to 120 key properties and plans to visit every one of them
over the next few months. “I hope to catch up with them all before Christmas,” says Tony, who explains that the conversations are structured around landowners’ perceptions of the local environment, their long-term aspirations, and their views and ideas about pest control techniques.
Project liaison Tony Bateup. Photo: Jo Richards.
From his discussions with landowners to date, Tony’s early impressions are of a community committed to protecting its native wildlife. “I’ve been surprised by how many people are doing some trapping already,” says Tony. A few weeks into the engagement exercise, however, Tony is finding that getting hold of people “is a challenge” and is keen for landowners to get in touch with him. Project manager for the feasibility study Chris Wheatley says the preliminary discussions will be important in shaping the project and encourages locals to have their say. “Make the most of the opportunity; we really want to get people’s input.” Another important aim of the feasibility study is to investigate sources of funding for what would be a multi-million dollar long-term undertaking, and Chris expects an announcement to be made shortly. Although the project has begun with one small step, if successful, it could represent a giant leap for the ecology of Golden Bay. To contact Tony phone 027 470 5337.
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Rising sea levels JO RICHARDS
Next week, Tasman residents will get the opportunity to exchange information and ideas with experts about sea level rise, and explore the big question, “what can we do about it?”. Tasman District Council (TDC) is running a series of live, interactive webinars which will cover current knowledge about future sea level rise, and outline the broad options for coastal management. The sessions will also allow the community to input its views and ideas. Sea level rise is one of the unavoidable impacts of climate change. While the rate and magnitude of the increase is uncertain, there is a clear consensus that it is already happening and will continue for hundreds of years, even if reductions are achieved in global emissions of greenhouse gases. Consequently, it’s a critical long-term issue for coastal communities. I n G ol d e n B ay, a good d e a l of development and infrastructure is located along the coastline where “absolute beachfront” property remains highly desirable. But as sea levels rise, communities, including Pakawau, Parapara and Collingwood, will become increasingly vulnerable to coastal inundation and/or storm damage, especially during extreme weather events such as ex-tropical cyclones - events which are predicted to become more frequent and intense under the majority of climate change scenarios. In response to the increasing risks, TDC instigated its Coastal Management Project a couple of years ago, with the aims of collating knowledge on sea level rise and coastal hazards in the district, and developing policy options to help shape future decision-making. Community sessions held in 2019 gathered feedback which helped to inform TDC’s Coastal Risk Assessment Report (2020). The report was a key step in quantifying assets, property, infrastructure and facilities that may be vulnerable to coastal storm inundation and sea level rise. The findings of the repor t were subsequently used to identify highlevel options for adaptation, which have been grouped into four categories – accommodate, protect, avoid, and retreat. The interactive webinars represent the next stage of public consultation. At all three of the sessions Coastal Management Project lead Diana Worthy and natural hazards scientist Glenn Stevens will be joined by leading New Zealand coastal... Continued on page 2
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THE GB WEEKLY, FRIDAY 24 SEPTEMBER 2021
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