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Mihimihi
Kotahitanga mō te Taiao alliance Co-Chairs and Programme Manager 2021
Credit: Melissa Banks Photography
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Ki a Ranginui e tū iho nei, ki a Papatūānuku e takoto ake nei, tae noa ki ā rāua tamariki maha, te whakatīnanatanga o tō tātou ao, kei te mihi!
Rātou te hunga wairua ki a rātou, tātou te hunga ora ki a tātou; Tīhei mauri ora! Ki ngā kaitiaki toa o tō tātou rohe o Te Tauihu o Te Waka, koutou e poipoi nei i tō tātou taiao hei oranga mō ngā uri whakaheke, e mihi ana. Ka tika me mihi ki a koutou i whakapau werawera ki te whakakotahi i ngā whakaaro, ki te kōkiri anō i ngā kōrero ki te rīpoata taiao nei hei painga mō te katoa. "Ko Te Tauihu o Te Waka, he whenua taurikura, he rite ki te ao nō tua whakarere. Kua hau tōna rongo i te tapu, i te huhua o te taiao nei. He kainga motuhake a Te Tauihu mō ngā momo e hia rau nei e kore e kitea i wāhi kē." Tēnā koutou katoa.
Ranginui who stands aloft, to Papatūānuku who lies below, and their many children who are the manifestation of our world, acknowledgements are given.
May the deceased stay with the spirits, and the living continue on; listen the life force is alive! To the guardians of the top of the South Island, those that nurture the environment so that it is prosperous for future generations, we give thanks. Acknowledgements are also given to those who have spent many hours collating information for this environmental report, an asset that will be useful for the days to come. "The top of the South Island is the most environmentally diverse and ancient part of New Zealand. It is home to hundreds of species found nowhere else in the world and these form unique natural communities." Acknowledgements to all.
Co-Chair’s Report 2021
Tiakina te Wao-tapu-nui-o-Tāne, Ki te kore tātou, ka kore he whareora. Tiakina Te Tini o Hakituri, Ki te kore tātou, ka kore ko te hora manapou. Tiakina ngā hau whakapure o Tāwhiri, Ki te kore tātou, ka kore he hauora. Tiakina ngā whenua haumako o Papa, Ki te kore tātou, ka kainga e te tai. Tiakina ngā wai o Tangaroa, Ki te kore tātou, ka kore he wai Māori, Ka kore hoki te waiora o te Māori. Haumi e! Hui e! Tāiki e!
Co-Chair Co-Chair Dave Johnston Martin Rodd
Relationships are built over time on trust and from trust endures loyalty. From loyalty we get discretionary effort over and above what is required. We would like to thank Lou for empowering the regional staff of DOC to help foster these principles as part of the Kotahitanga mō te Taiao Alliance.
We are at a turning point in time where actions must match words and we have an opportunity to lead and do what must be done for our future mokopuna. Hearing the discussions at COP26 leaves us unmistakeably clear that failing to respond to the climate crisis is not an option. The scale of what must be achieved is beyond anything that any one country could achieve on its own.
Ngāti Kuia Kaumātua Christmas 2019 & Te Hoiere / Pelorus Project launch
Credit: Melissa Banks Photography
It requires agreement and collaboration on an unprecedented scale, requiring the almost impossible action of setting agendas aside to work as one for the planet. Whatever global direction our world leaders can agree, our regional leadership can make a fundamental difference to the scale and speed of what can be achieved at place. We have grown our regional collaboration across 2.5 million hectares through Kotahitanga mō te Taiao, an alliance of eight iwi, all councils and DOC in partnership with The Nature Conservancy (TNC), from the Buller in the west to the Ngāi Tahu Settlement appellant line in the Marlborough District. Our collective vision is “our extraordinary natural heritage is flourishing, having been restored over large areas, including where people live. People live, care for, and benefit from the environment in ways that bolster natural ecology and the communities that live within them”.
Project members, participating in an initial field trip to discuss Te Hoiere / Pelorus Project potential, August 2019
Credit: DOC, Picton Office
We work by consensus to achieve outcomes that no one entity could achieve alone. We are starting from an exceptional base with Alliance members, philanthropists, communities, social enterprise, business, and Central Government already leading significant nature-based initiatives. What Kotahitanga mō te Taiao brings is the ability to align, collaborate and co-design to optimise investment to achieve the outcomes offering the greatest impact where the need is most urgent.
The case studies in this report seek to illustrate this point but most importantly, indicate the potential to scale-up as we learn how to connect and support the work of the many others who are either doing, or are keen to participate in restoring our natural heritage. Government’s $1.245 billion Jobs for Nature programme announced in May 2020 was designed to fuel a sustainable recovery from the COVID-19 crisis through employment in nature-based work. It encouraged collaboration at a regional scale to achieve environmental legacy outcomes. With the Kotahitanga mō te Taiao Alliance in place we were able to stand-up New Zealand’s first regional project (outside of the pilots), Project Mahitahi / Maitai. In addition, Alliance members positioned multiple other projects in line with our Strategy to secure $20.78 million and 306 jobs across the top of the South.
Trapping volunteer
Credit: Picton Dawn Chorus
Our TNC Partnership
TNC have provided the independence, coaching and global expertise that has grown our confidence to work at such a large scale. We have developed an environmental scorecard for ‘what good looks like’ and have agreed on our current state through a politically-neutral, highly visual tool developed by retired US-based TNC planner, Greg Low. This tool has enabled us to identify the strategic priorities that we must pursue if we are to achieve our vision. TNC also secured three Kotahitanga mō te Taiao sites within their international blue carbon pilot. This is a programme to understand the storage of carbon within estuaries and low-lying land adjoining the coast and to build resilience through enhancing wetlands and coastal margins which are facing increased pressure through climate change.
Te Tai Poutini Coast
Credit: Buller District Council
The international TNC team were also present at COP26, contributing significant thinking based on the global research and intelligence that they hold. It is this level of expertise that guides Kotahitanga mō te Taiao as one programme and keeps us current with the latest thinking and tools needed for our work.
Outlook
As you will see from our scorecard described in this report, the current state of our natural capital in the top of the South is grim. Our immediate focus for 22/23 is working under TNC’s Conservation by Design framework to develop an operational plan, drawing upon all the strengths we can to optimise our efforts. Through this work we aim to connect all those partners and stakeholders who are willing to be involved. We aim to build on the considerable current efforts and learn how we can better align our strengths to achieve more. Through their work with the region’s economic development agencies, Kānoa have identified the top of the South strategic economic strengths as Oceans Economy, Forestry, Tourism and Food and Beverage production. These industries are major contributors to our economy. Our opportunity in the Kotahitanga mō te Taiao Alliance is to work with industry to understand how natural capital and these economic strengths can flourish in harmony long-term. If we can achieve this
and scale it up, we are positioning the region well for the challenges ahead.
Rai Valley Community Catchment Group at a planting event Winter 2021
Credit: Antonia O’Donnell
Māori carving
Credit: Buller District Council
The regions focus on cushioning the immediate economic impact of COVID-19 has been supported through a coordinated response across government, local government, mana whenua and the business community. This collaboration is now turning its attention to the medium term, taking a regenerative approach which sets out economic priorities for the next 3 to 5 years and acts as a bridge between the initial response activity and the long-term aspirations and priorities laid out in the Te Tauihu Intergenerational Strategy and the direction the Buller District is pursuing.
The outcomes we achieve through the Alliance will inform key indicators of the regional Wellbeing Monitor and contribute our strengths to the wider strengths of the region to excel in social, cultural, economic, and environmental outcomes in harmony.
On behalf of your Co-chairs thank you all for your collaboration and collective mahi.
Working bee – the wedge track reduced
Credit: Picton Dawn Chorus
Kia tapatahi tātou i ngā whakapapa, i ngā kaupapa, e, i ngā moemoea ō tātou
