Landowner Assistance Programme
Significant Natural Areas protection
Council has established this programme to provide encouragement and practical help to landowners interested in protecting significant natural areas on their properties. The programme includes both practical and financial help with work such as pest and weed control and fencing, and other support such as advice and information.
Funding for this work is available from both Council and from the central Government's Biodiversity Fund in recognition that valuing and protecting New Zealand's biodiversity is an important issue that deserves public support when it falls on private landowners.
So far about 80 protection projects have been instigated through the programme, including a mix of fencing, re-vegetation, weed control and wetland restoration. Depending on the funding package that is set up, the landowner contributes between 20% and 50% of the costs.
See a map showing Significant Natural Area sites protected through Marlborough District Council's Landowner Assistance Programme using the link below (2.9 Mb).
While Council offers a funding coordination service, landowners can also apply independently to the Biodiversity Fund if that is their preference.
Go to central Government's biodiversity information
Landowners interested in help from the Council to protect biodiversity can contact Council.
See link below for Landowner Assistance Funding Guidelines (32 Kb).
Landowner Assistance Funding Guidelines
Council also works closely with the Queen Elizabeth II National Trust (QEII), which is an independent organisation that assists landowners who want to formally protect their land through a covenant on the property title. QEII has a 25 year history of working successfully with landowners to protect a variety of important sites and landscapes. The local Nelson/Marlborough representative is Tom Stein, email: tstein@openspace.org.nz, phone: 03 5742978.
