Support for Canterbury conservation work

Four ambitious conservation projects in Canterbury have received $137,000 in support from the DOC Community Fund, Conservation Ministers Maggie Barry and Nicky Wagner have announced.

The projects range from wilding conifer control to protecting and promoting indigenous vegetation, the Ministers say.

“Each of the groups is playing an important role in eliminating weeds and restoring biodiversity in the Canterbury region,” Ms Barry says.

“If we are going to achieve our Predator Free vision by 2050, supporting community conservation work of this kind is absolutely vital. We need the whole country to get behind the effort and it’s excellent to see so much going on at a local level.

Minister Wagner says the projects will be a great boost to Canterbury’s conservation efforts.

“It’s exciting to see local communities and organisations take on these bold projects to protect indigenous shrublands and control weeds. Projects like these and across the country will help to encourage other local groups to start conservation efforts,” Ms Wagner says.

The four projects are:

• Waimakariri Ecological Landscape and Restoration Alliance (WELRA) - $95,758 to remove seeding source conifers from around the Craigieburn control area and outlier seeding sources to the north and south of Flock Hill station. 
• The Ohau Conservation Trust - $28,565 to remove cotoneaster within the project area to protect indigenous shrublands and promote indigenous regeneration.
• Mt Somers Walkway Society - $4,000 to keep the area free of these weeds, while the task is still achievable to retain the open Grass-lands.
• The Ohau Conservation Trust - $8,677 for the removal of Russell lupin and other woody weeds, such as crack willow along the lower western and southern lakeshore of Lake Ohau.

In total, the DOC Community Fund will distribute more than $4 million in 2016-17 to organisations ranging from small community groups working across a single site to national partnerships.