What is biodiversity?
Biodiversity is the rich variety of life on earth and ensures the survival of people.
It concerns all species of plants and animals, including people, their genetic variation and the range of habitats upon which all living things depend.
It encompasses the whole of the natural world, not just the rare or the endangered.
Why should we be interested in looking after our biodiversity?
We are a part of New Zealand’s incredible variety of living things. We live in a unique place, with native species which do not occur anywhere else in the world.
Biodiversity touches and benefits all aspects of our lives. Our diverse range of species and habitats contribute to the economy, health and quality of life of people in Christchurch.
We should be proud of our rich biodiversity. Many animals and plants form part of our native identity. Others form part of our cultural heritage having been introduced to the area by settlers.
The variety of our biodiversity is fragile, but we can all help to protect it. Even small steps can make a big difference and there are many things we can do.
We all have a responsibility to think about the impact of our decisions upon wildlife and we can all make positive decisions to encourage and grow our biodiversity.
What is the Christchurch City Council doing to look after our biodiversity?
The Christchurch City Biodiversity Strategy 2008 - 2035 sets out a vision of what could be achieved for biodiversity across Christchurch and Banks Peninsula.
It provides key goals and objectives to guide the efforts of the Council and the many organisations and individuals involved in the protection and enhancement of local biodiversity.
The Biodiversity Strategy goals include:
- to conserve and restore indigenous biodiversity in Christchurch and Banks Peninsula
- priority species are protected and restored
- ecosystems supporting biodiversity are protected and restored
- species and habitats important to Ngai Tahu are protected and restored
- pests are managed to minimise their impact on biodiversity
- new Council policies will take account of the Biodiversity Strategy.
To raise awareness and understanding of indigenous biodiversity:
To encourage widespread participation in support of indigenous biodiversity conservation:
To improve and facilitate research and monitoring of indigenous biodiversity:
The Biodiversity Strategy focuses on native (or indigenous) species and habitats as a priority given they are under greatest pressure and are our particular responsibility to protect.
Priorities for 2011/2012
To achieve the Biodiversity Strategy goals the Council has a programme of work for 2011/12. Normally this would be a continuation of last year’s work, but thanks to the earthquakes since 4 September 2011 and the associated disruption and uncertainty, the work programme has been reviewed.
Not least amongst the issues is that of potential (as yet undetermined) changes to ecosystems due to liquefaction, changes to the water table, rockfall and land instability in various parts of the city. Access to some sites – or parts of sites – is restricted. Some staff who would usually work on site management, species monitoring and management, pest control and other areas related to biodiversity are temporarily focussed on other Council priorities.
The biodiversity work programme for this year has been adjusted accordingly and includes the following:
Support for conservation groups and organisations:
Data management:
assess what can be done in the short term (2 to 5 years) to consolidate the many sources of ecological data held by the Council – work to progress a full-scale Ecological Data Management System is temporarily on hold, but there is still a need to address this pressing issue to assist measurement and understanding of ecological changes and trends.
Operational Pest Management:
Ecological Heritage Sites – Christchurch City Plan:
Banks Peninsula District Plan potential variation – Ecological Study:
Other ongoing work throughout the Council:
We all need to work together to find ways to nurture our unique biodiversity and ensure that people enjoy it for years to come. The Christchurch City Council, in partnership with the community, landowners, iwi and other agencies, is committed to protecting indigenous biodiversity as an essential part of the rural and urban fabric of Christchurch and Banks Peninsula.
The Biodiversity Strategy helps to guide the Council and community towards things we can do to make a real difference. Some things are already happening – and we need to make sure they carry on – while other things are new and will need some time to set up. Some suggestions can be found below about things that we can do straightaway.
What can you do to look after our biodiversity?
Get to know more about the biodiversity around you: it’s in your back yard and local park. To find out more about the plant species that existed in Christchurch before humans arrived see Christchurch Ecosystems and Planting Guides.
Plant native trees, shrubs and groundcover in your garden to attract insects and birds.
Join a local community group involved in biodiversity work – planting trees, scrub bashing and birdwatching are all activities which take place in and around Christchurch.
There are many trusts and conservation groups run by people in the community to look after the interests of wildlife in a number of places. To find out how you can get involved, see Community Information Christchurch (CINCH).
Contact the Christchurch City Council Ranger Service on (03) 941 8999 to ask about their volunteer groups.
If you want more information about any of these issues please contact the Christchurch City Council’s Principal Advisor Natural Environment on (03) 941 8999 or email info@ccc.govt.nz
Biodiversity Strategy 2008-2035
