Forest & Bird Tag: marine reserve

auckland anne on "Auckland Motorway Expension vs Conservation"

auckland anne — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 00:52:31 +0000

Not only fernbirds and dotterels and royal spoonbills and various migratory spp like SI oystercatchers and godwits (they stop off on their way between Manukau and Kaipara Harbours) and terns and gulls out on Pollen Island, but also the naturally uncommon plant Mimulus repens (pictured - this and all the above photos are from Waitakere F&B member Kent Xie - thanks Kent) and banded rail (their tracks were seen and identified) recently out on Traherne Island.

Pete on "UK government could declare the worlds largest marine protected area"

Pete — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 00:22:25 +0000

This Friday, the UK government could make history by creating the world’s largest Marine Protected Area around the Chagos Islands. Our ocean ecosystems are literally dying under pressure from mass, uncontrolled commercial fishing and pollution. This decision could start to turn the tide. But commercial fishing companies are opposing the move, putting short term profits ahead of all sense. We can’t let that happen -- already, over 90% of big fish like tuna and marlin are gone. Together, let’s send the UK government a tidal wave of global public support urging them to be bold and protect oceans from exploitation. Sign the petition below, then forward it to everyone you know. It will be delivered to Foreign Secretary David Miliband by the deadline this Friday! <a href="http://www.avaaz.org/en/save_our_oceans/?vl" rel="nofollow">http://www.avaaz.org/en/save_our_oceans/?vl</a> The reports are dire: in 38 years, our oceans could be completely fished-out, in 100 years, all coral reefs might be dead. This action alone won’t be enough to turn the tide. But it will establish a 210,000 square-mile Marine Protected Area -- bigger than the Great Barrier Reef. To truly save the world’s oceans from collapse will require bold political leadership and dedicated citizens taking action. In 2010, the International Year of Biodiversity, a UK decision to create the world's largest Marine Protected Area would secure a conservation legacy almost unrivalled in scale and significance. This would set a clear example to other governments around the world. Let's drown out the voices of the commercial fishing companies, and lay the foundation for protecting our oceans for generations to come. Sign the petition below, and forward it to friends and family: <a href="http://www.avaaz.org/en/save_our_oceans/?vl" rel="nofollow">http://www.avaaz.org/en/save_our_oceans/?vl</a>

auckland anne on "Auckland Motorway Expension vs Conservation"

auckland anne — Sat, 23 Jan 2010 22:53:50 +0000

This link <a href="http://www.nzta.govt.nz/network/projects/sh16-northwestern-motorway-improvements-waterview-to-te-atatu/docs/sh16-improvements-sh16-brochure.pdf" rel="nofollow">http://www.nzta.govt.nz/network/projects/sh16-northwestern-motorway-improvements-waterview-to-te-atatu/docs/sh16-improvements-sh16-brochure.pdf</a> is from the NZTA website, and shows a map of the planned motorway works and also the location of the Motu Manawa marine reserve. In the interim until negotiations begin in earnest, local F&B branches (Central Auckland and Waitakere) have had four walks out to both Pollen and Traherne Islands very recently, and spotted fernbirds and even spoonbills at Pollen, and banded rail tracks and the naturally uncommon plant Mimulus repens at Traherne. Careful steps will need to be taken to safeguard this special environment during the motorway works.

auckland anne on "Auckland Motorway Expension vs Conservation"

auckland anne — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 03:51:25 +0000

The NZTA is now carrying out geotechnical studies and continuing with design work on the project, and expects to lodge an application with the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) by June this year to advance the project by using the new national consenting process of the Resource Management Act, introduced by Government last year to streamline the decision-making process on matters of national significance. Using the new national consenting process for the project would replace the usual two-step process of a council hearing followed by an Environment Court hearing with either a single hearing before a board of inquiry, or a direct referral to the Environment Court.

TNEK on "Auckland Motorway Expension vs Conservation"

TNEK — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 03:25:56 +0000

Excellent work. It's great to see F&B getting good publicity on Herald (leading article under "Environment") backing Pollen Island Marine Reserve! Web: <a href="http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10606926" rel="nofollow">http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10606926</a> ======================================================== Bird lovers see positives in road plan 4:00AM Tuesday Nov 03, 2009 By Mathew Dearnaley Guardians of a marine reserve in the Waitemata Harbour see potential for environmental gains from widening the Northwestern Motorway into the reserve. Although the motorway is likely to be widened by 3m to 5m into the Motu Manawa-Pollen Island Marine Reserve, to cope with extra traffic from the $1.15 billion Waterview link, conservation organisation Forest and Bird believes that will open opportunities for repairing and reducing long-standing environment impacts. The Transport Agency intends widening the motorway from St Lukes to Westgate over more than 10 years for about $860 million, including upgrading interchanges and raising a marine causeway between Waterview and the northern end of Rosebank Peninsula to protect it from floods at an earlier stage. It has promised to add stormwater treatment facilities missing from when the causeway was built in the 1950s, and to work with the Department of Conservation and Forest and Bird on revegetating the area. Its plans to encroach on the marine reserve have raised some concerns among Auckland Regional Council members, who maintain a link between the Northwestern and Southwestern motorways could have been built along Rosebank Peninsula from Avondale with less environmental and social disruption than through Waterview. Up to 447 homes are expected to be destroyed by a Waterview link, including 83 potentially needed for a wider Northwestern. But Forest and Bird's Auckland Central branch chairwoman Anne Fenn, whose organisation applied in 1995 for the marine reserve to be created, says plans to upgrade the causeway open the door to remedy some of the motorway's adverse impacts. She said water quality in the reserve could be improved with more culverts under the motorway to maintain tidal movement and to stop silting in Waterview Bay. Weeds beside the motorway, particularly through Traherne Island, were also a problem and removing them would be a very positive step. "Not only would it help beautify the area pre-World Cup, but it would help save habitat for animals living there and remove a growing seed source for other weeds to invade neighbouring areas," Mrs Fenn said. As the area was a rare habitat for semi-flightless fernbirds, and a royal spoonbill was, unusually, sighted there last month, extra care should be taken to protect it. Transport Agency official Paul Glucina told a regional council transport committee meeting separately that adding a lane to each side of the motorway was likely to mean extending the causeway 3m to 5m towards the marine reserve's extensive saltmarsh zone. But he said a preliminary indication from the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research was that it would have no impact on the functioning of the saltmarsh. Council chairwoman Christine Rose said it was sad to see rubbish mar planting efforts.

TNEK on "Calling out votes for Bird of the Year 2009"

TNEK — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 23:44:21 +0000

To those of you who responded to our appeal of yesterday and voted for the fernbird in the Forest & Bird Bird of the Year elections, many thanks! Your votes helped ensure that the fernbird made it into the Top 10, with most of the other nine birds household names and in some cases national icons. As a consequence, the fernbird was listed in the press release put out by Forest and Bird to announce the results. This is a real publicity achievement for an obscure species like the fernbird. It even aced the fantail, NZ falcon, Pukeko, Kereru, Kokako & Kaka! There is method in the madness, as we are involved with the conjoint project of Forest & Bird Waitakere and Central Auckland branches in lobbying Transit NZ to make some conservation and restoration improvements in the Motu Manawa (Pollen Island) Marine Reserve, through which the planned State Highway 16/Northwestern Motorway widening project will run. You may not have heard of the Motu Manawa (Pollen Island) Marine Reserve, but you are driving through it when you travel along the Northwestern Motorway between Waterview and Te Atatu & Rosebank Peninsula. The motorway crosses directly over Traherne Island and runs alongside Pollen Island. Our leverage is that the nationally endangered fernbird is recorded as living on Pollen Island and Traherne Island within the marine reserve. The fact that fernbirds live there will oblige mitigation strategies to be included in the SH16 widening, as was obligated when the State Highway 1/Northern Motorway extension was built near Puhoi. In the latter case a viaduct was constructed to carry the motorway, so that local fernbirds could hop blissfully underneath it rather than risk getting killed crossing the road. To their credit Transit NZ and DoC are up to speed with the fernbird’s need in the SH16 project. Go fernbird! The top 10 birds in this year’s poll are: 1. Kiwi (1586 votes) 2. Rifleman (1230 votes) 3. Kea (1093 votes) 4. Kakapo (829 votes) 5. Tui (619 votes) 6. Takahe (571 votes) 7. Fernbird (462 votes) 8. Fantail ( 395 votes) 9. Karearea/native falcon (383 votes) 10. Pukeko (382 votes) Many thanks again for your interest and efforts in the fernbird’s cause. The fernbird thanks you from the bottom of its little heart! The Fernbird Team

auckland anne on "Calling out votes for Bird of the Year 2009"

auckland anne — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 00:17:57 +0000

No-one said we had to be nice about getting there....8-) I'm pleased as punch to report that as of now anyway, fernbird has been one of the real bolters in the Bird of the Year race for the finish post. Up until Sat he had a massive 60odd votes and was languishinhg near the end of the field, but since Sat he's bolted to seventh place with some 445 votes (and counting). We're as proud as punch of the little guy. No corporate-backing, and no specific trusts in his name, he's definitely not a well-known bird, but now lots more people will know that he exists and his wetland home needs all the help it can get. Kia kaha little bird...

brent on "Calling out votes for Bird of the Year 2009"

brent — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 23:19:57 +0000

bird bias mixed with vote enrichment strategies - I love it!

TNEK on "Calling out votes for Bird of the Year 2009"

TNEK — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 04:19:52 +0000

We need to your vote for our FERNBIRD, whose natural habitat in the middle of the Auckland city is under threat due to Northwestern motorway expansion going through the nationally significant POLLEN ISLAND Marine Reserve. Vote for fernbird before 5pm 14th Oct NZ time. Help our endangered fernbird to raise the voice for wetland and marine reserves protection. If you know someone can help, pass on the message – one computer can vote only once (so don’t forget to vote at home computer too). Thank you all. From the campaign team for "Fernbird for Bird of the Year 2009" <<< VOTE HERE >>>: <a href="http://www.forestandbird.org.nz/poll" rel="nofollow">www.forestandbird.org.nz/poll</a> (we are at near bottom of the voting page) About our campaign & photos: <a href="http://blog.forestandbird.org.nz/fernbirds-forever/#more-1019" rel="nofollow">http://blog.forestandbird.org.nz/fernbirds-forever/#more-1019</a> <a href="http://forum.forestandbird.org.nz/topic/auckland-motorway-expension-vs-conservation" rel="nofollow">http://forum.forestandbird.org.nz/topic/auckland-motorway-expension-vs-conservation</a>

auckland anne on "Auckland Motorway Expension vs Conservation"

auckland anne — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 23:27:26 +0000

This matter is being looked at by Central Auckland Forest & Bird, where this area lies, and they are involved already (Forest and Bird Central Auckland has been quick off the mark to open discussions with the relevant government authorities to help ensure the unique conservation values of the marine reserve and the islands it encloses are respected and enhanced as part of the motorway widening plans). However they'd like as much support as they can get, so anyone interested in more information on this initiative or in involvement themselves, should contact the Forest and Bird Central Auckland branch via <a href="mailto:forestandbird@gmail.com">forestandbird@gmail.com</a> . Likewise, any F&B members interested in visiting the site, please contact the branch also to see if any trips there are planned or can be arranged.

Mikenz on "Auckland Motorway Expension vs Conservation"

Mikenz — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 01:49:55 +0000

Unfortunately the PDFs I tried to post were not uploaded. The links are posted here instead: Information on the Motu Manawa (Pollen Island) Marine Reserve: <a href="http://www.doc.govt.nz/conservation/marine-and-coastal/marine-protected-areas/marine-reserves-a-z/motu-manawa-pollen-island/" rel="nofollow">http://www.doc.govt.nz/conservation/marine-and-coastal/marine-protected-areas/marine-reserves-a-z/motu-manawa-pollen-island/</a> Information on the fernbird conservation project connected with the SH1 Northern Motorway extension at Puhoi: <a href="http://www.northerngateway.co.nz/images/documents/Alpurt%20News%20Issue%203.pdf" rel="nofollow">http://www.northerngateway.co.nz/images/documents/Alpurt%20News%20Issue%203.pdf</a>

Mikenz on "Auckland Motorway Expension vs Conservation"

Mikenz — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 01:00:04 +0000

For those interested in the SH16 Northwestern Motorway widening plans, the link to Transit New Zealand's relevant page is at <a href="http://www.transit.govt.nz/projects/view_project.jsp?content_type=project&=edit&primary_key=215&action=edit" rel="nofollow">http://www.transit.govt.nz/projects/view_project.jsp?content_type=project&=edit&primary_key=215&action=edit</a> Basically, the idea is to: Add lanes to the motorway to increase capacity; Raise the causeway and the adjacent cycleway to reduce flooding; Widen and improve interchanges; Construct new bus priority lanes on the motorway shoulders, and; Improve access across the motorway for pedestrians and cyclists. All of which add up to a much larger roading structure through the Motu Manawa (Pollen Island) Marine Reserve and more loss of habitat on Traherne Island in particular, as the motorway already goes right across it. Because Pollen Island and Traherne Island are recorded as fernbird habitats, there is an established precedent in the need for the planned Northwestern Motorway construction to have to take account of that in the case of the now completed SH1 Northern motorway extension at Puhoi. Please see attached documents, and vote for the fernbird as F&B Bird of the Year to help promote conservation objectives in relation to the Northwestern Motorway expansion plans across the Motu Manawa (Pollen Island) Marine Reserve.

TNEK on "Auckland Motorway Expension vs Conservation"

TNEK — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 00:38:06 +0000

It's a fantastic place, a bird paradise out there! Pitty no many of us have got the chance to see it. Having better motorway system is great for us all who can benefit from it, but don't forget the concernvation value this place represents for Auckland. This is the only one left in the Waitamata Harbour and it's worth going through the trouble for the Transit to put in considerable amount of consultation to minimize the negative impact of road works and change of tidal marsh land. Endangered fernbirds etc live out there. We should raise the voice via writting letters to Transit, DoC, local newspapers, internet blog, etc etc.... Big projects like motorway expension only happen once in a couple fo decades. This has to be done in the right way from the very begining. We can't change the decision now but at least they should get it done right and protect as much Pollen Island Marine Reserve as possible. We need your voice.

auckland anne on "Auckland Motorway Expension vs Conservation"

auckland anne — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 06:30:50 +0000

Pretty nice for the middle of Auckland city, eh?

Gagagreenie on "Auckland Motorway Expension vs Conservation"

Gagagreenie — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 22:37:13 +0000

Ugh. I hate the whole idea. Why can't they just leave it be?

auckland anne on "Auckland Motorway Expension vs Conservation"

auckland anne — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 02:27:29 +0000

I have empathy with what you're saying, Tawaki, but in this particular Pollen Island case, things aren't quite as straightforward (mind, when are they?). You see, the NW motorway(connects West Auckland to the CBD) which runs through the area came before the marine reserve was applied for by F&B in 1995. It was already there, and an additional concern is that we've only recently confirmed one island the motorway goes over in the area (Traherne) is not vested in DoC at all, even though it is encompassed by the marine reserve, it was actually vested with NZTA or LINZ as being set aside "for motorway purposes" back in 1952. So, with the bulldozers poised to go (plans for extending the motorway are for works to begin next year), and some residents already having been told their houses are being taken, our own position needs to be handled really carefully. For one, we don't want to come across as being more worried about the fernbird losing it's home than the people losing their homes, because we could do ourselves a disservice (some of you might disagree entirely with this!!), and we also need to approach the relevant agencies, especially NZTA, in a positive way so that we can focus our involvement on doing the best by that marine reserve(Motu Manawa) and scientific reserve (Pollen Island). Support would be greatly appreciated especially from local residents and those who might be able to help us eg with advice. This might be life right in the middle of the biggest city, but Pollen Island/Motu Manawa is one of the few remaining untouched estuarine habitats in the whole of the Inner Waitemata Harbour. PS I bet Motu Manawa marine reserve is one of the few anywhere that has literally thousands of visitors travel through it each day. If you were looking for a marine reserve to educate as many people as possible about MPAs and even about mangrove habitats, you needn't look any further than Motu Manawa.

Tawaki on "Auckland Motorway Expension vs Conservation"

Tawaki — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 08:15:37 +0000

Motu Manawa Marine Reserve was precedent setting when it was created. It wasn't pretty rocky seacoast with blue sea. Instead it was highly productive estuary that admittedly looked a bit muddy at low tide but was rich in marine life and was an example of an ecosystem that has born the brunt of land developments. It would be a tragedy if this special ecosystem was sacrificed just to build a Motorway on the cheap. A parallel example is the determination of many within the new Government to use public conservation lands as a cheap way of achieving Treaty Settlements instead of having to pay financial settlements. In both cases the motivation is the same, flog off conservation land for other purposes and noone will notice. The lesson is that we need to remind those in power that this is unacceptable. We need to show them just how much we value our public conservation land. The first Director General of Conservation, Ken Piddington, always referred to conservation land as a "taonga", a treasure, and gave great emphasis to it not just being a commodity to be traded or used in any convenient economic way. Rather Ken always emphasised the spirituality of public conservation land as something beyond the market place. At the time some people thought his expressions about this rather quaint but perhaps he showed more wisdom than the rest of us. Today we all need to emphasise this "taonga" dimension of our fantastic conservation lands and marine reserves more than do both the current DG of Conservation and the Minister of Conservation. They keep rabbiting on about the "conservation economy". Then they then express surprise when Energy Minister Brownlee wants to look at the mineral resources under our National Parks! What else did they expect? Brownlee is just exploring the "conservation economy beneath the land surface.

TNEK on "Auckland Motorway Expension vs Conservation"

TNEK — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 04:57:15 +0000

Plans to widen the Northwestern motorway between St Lukes Road and Te Atatu must take into account the nationally significant conservation area of the Motu Manawa (Pollen Island) Marine Reserve and the two islands within it, Pollen Island and Traherne Island. Both islands are recorded as habitats of the rare and endangered fernbird as well as other species such as the banded rail, spotless crake, and New Zealand dotterel. Transit New Zealand wisely took into account the needs of fernbirds and other native birds when designing the Puhoi extension of the Northern motorway, and no less should be expected with the Northwestern motorway. There should be included in any Northwestern motorway roadbuilding plans conservation objectives for the marine reserve and its islands such as habitat restoration, improved public access by boardwalks, a pedestrian overbridge across the motorway, and educational signage. Before the bulldozers start rolling into the marine reserve and across Traherne Island and possibly Pollen Island, there must be adequate public consultation and planning for the preservation and enhancement of the conservation area.