A new strategy focused on native biodiversity will significantly impact farmers, Beef and Lamb New Zealand (B+LNZ) has claimed.
The New Zealand government has launched a suite of measures to protect native wildlife and at-risk habitats to help stop the decline of nature due to human activity.
The package includes a public consultation, due to run until early November, on new ways to fund long-term conservation through a biodiversity credit system.
This would provide landowners with financial incentives to manage land in a way that benefits wildlife and local communities.
The proposed measures also feature a clearer set of requirements for councils to protect areas of significant biodiversity, innovation pilots, regional biodiversity coordinators, and the development of a digital information platform.
Farmers
Sam McIvor, chief executive of B+LNZ has claimed that new National Policy Statement on Indigenous Biodiversity (NPSIB) is “complex and cumbersome”.
“There are minor changes to the original NPSIB and the concept of biodiversity credits to incentivise farmers to protect and enhance biodiversity on their land is positive, however the proposed legislation remains fundamentally flawed.
“The definition of a Significant Natural Area (SNA) is far too broad and will capture much more than truly significant biodiversity.
“Significant areas of sheep and beef farms are likely to be captured, which will limit what farmers can do on that land, tying farmers up in red tape and devaluing farms.
“Those that have done the most to protect their biodiversity will be the most impacted,” he said.
McIvor acknowledged that the biodiversity credit could offset some of the impact but would be unlikely to “compensate for the fundamentally flawed underlying regulation”.
B+LNZ said that it supports the maintenance and enhancement of indigenous biodiversity because it is important to sheep and beef farmers who are actively protecting and restoring indigenous habitats.
“Sheep and beef farmers are already looking after a large portion of indigenous biodiversity with 24% of the country’s native vegetation cover on sheep and beef farms, second only to the conservation estate.
“It is critical that work is recognised and rewarding this is something B+LNZ has been working hard for many years. Biodiversity should be an asset and we welcome that being recognised.
“However, the NPSIB itself will add substantial costs and a significant time burden on landowners and likely still make biodiversity a liability.
“That is not the outcome we would want to see for our farmers or for New Zealand. The government clearly hasn’t listened to the concerns of many respected biodiversity experts,” McIvor said.
Biodiversity
B+LNZ has called for an integrated approach that supports landowners to integrate and manage biodiversity as part of productive farming systems, and where their efforts are recognised.
“While these changes are positive, we are still concerned that they have not gone far enough to ensure that SNAs are only identified for the most significant and important biodiversity.
“Over the coming weeks, we will be analysing the changes in detail and considering what they mean in conjunction with the consultation around biodiversity credits.
“Sheep and beef farmers are facing significant regulatory and economic challenges. As it stands, this NPSIB will have a major impact on our sector,” McIvor said.