Our native flora and fauna is a Taonga that does much to define us as a nation and the time is right to tackle the big questions around its future management. Good progress is being made in some areas, aided by effective new technology and greater public, corporate and philanthropic attention to and investment in the environment. But business as usual will not be good enough if we are to maintain our unique indigenous biodiversity. It is under threat, and we are losing ground in many cases. We have considered how we could better manage our indigenous biodiversity, with a particular focus on the role and work of regional councils.
Five recommendations for change:
- The need for strong leadership and clarity of roles and responsibilities
- The need to agree where we should focus our efforts at national, regional and local level
- The importance of a national plan and delivering joined-up action across all players
- The need to understand what success looks like, and how to measure it; and
- The need for modern, fit-for-purpose frameworks, including legislation, to help achieve our goals
