Protected areas of New Zealand
Protected areas of New Zealand are areas that are in some way protected to preserve their environmental, scientific, scenic, historical, cultural or recreational value. There are about 10,000 protected areas, covering about a third of the country. The method and aims of protection vary according to the importance of the resource and whether it is publicly or privately owned.[1]
Nearly 30 percent of New Zealand's land mass is publicly owned with some degree of protection. Most of this land – about 80,000 square kilometres (31,000 sq mi) – is administered by the
The department also manages 44 offshore and coastal
History
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Biota of New Zealand |
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The Māori people of New Zealand have a tradition of declaring a rāhui to restrict access to or exploitation of resources.
Governor Hobson (in office 1840–1842) had instructions from the United Kingdom Home Secretary John Russell for the setting aside of some Crown land in New Zealand: "reserved, for the use of the public at large, all tracts which are likely to be required for purposes of public health, utility, convenience, or enjoyment."[8]
The Public Reserves Act 1854 allowed
The Reserves Act 1977 superseded previous acts.[10][11] The 1977 Act, together with the Marine Reserves Act 1971, National Parks Act 1980 and Conservation Act 1987, established New Zealand's modern conservation system.[1][6]
National parks
The National Parks Act 1980 provides high protection significant areas known as national parks.[12] These areas provide a habitat for many rare plants and animals, and a place for walking, mountain climbing, boating, snow sports and other forms of recreation.[3]
The first national park,
Marine reserves
The Marine Reserves Act 1971 protects several marine areas around New Zealand known as marine reserves.[6] In these areas there is a complete ban on fishing, and on removing or disturbing marine life.[17]
The first marine reserve, Cape Rodney-Okakari Point Marine Reserve, was established in 1975.[6] As of 2015, there are 44 marine reserves covering 9.5 percent of its coastal waters within 12 nautical miles of the coast.[6]
Reserves
The Department of Conservation administers several types of reserve under the Reserves Act 1977:[11]
- National reserves are areas that have been designated as having national importance due to their historical or ecological value.[11]
- Recreation reserves have been established for recreation and sporting activities, to promote physical welfare and enjoyment and protect the natural environment and beauty.[11]
- Historic reserves have been established to protect and preserve places, objects and natural features that are of historic, archaeological, cultural, educational and other special interest.[11]
- Scenic reserves are reserves protected because of their scenic interest, beauty or natural features.[11] These are the most common type of protected area in New Zealand. Most are small areas of remnant native forest close to roads. Scenic reserves were previously established under the Scenery Preservation Act 1903 before the Reserves Act was passed.[18]
- Nature reserves are reserves established to protect indigenous flora or fauna, or rare or scientifically important natural features. Entry to these reserves is limited to those with specific permits.[11]
- Scientific reserves are reserves established to protect areas for scientific research and education. Entry to part of all of these reserves is limited to those with specific permits.[11]
- Government purpose reserves are reserves held for a particular government purposes, like wildlife management areas.[11]
- esplanade reserves.[21]
- Wilderness areas are reserves or parts of reserves maintained in a natural state, with a ban on buildings, roads, human infrastructure or introduced animals.[11]
- Other areas of private, Crown or Māori land may be leased back by the Crown under conservation covenants to preserve the natural environment.[11]
Conservation areas
The Department of Conservation administers several types of conservation areas under the Conservation Act 1987:[4]
- Conservation parks are a group of 54 areas protected for their natural and historic resources, and for public use, covering an area of 2,690,191 hectares (6,647,610 acres).[5] They include 36 forest parks that predate the 1987 legislation.[22]
- Wilderness areas are areas of land managed for preservation of indigenous natural resources. Buildings, machinery, livestock, vehicles, aircraft, roads and tracks are banned in these areas unless it is for a specific management, scientific or safety purpose.[4]
- Sanctuary areas are areas managed to preserve indigenous plants and animals in their natural state and for scientific and other similar purposes.[4]
- Watercourse areas are areas of land protected under the Conservation Act, Reserves Act or QEII National Trust Act, which are next to inland waters also under some form of protection.[25] In each area, both the land and waters have outstanding natural or recreational characteristics.[4]
- Amenity areas are areas managed for protection of indigenous natural and historic resources, and for public recreation.[4]
- Marginal strips are barriers of land adjoining the sea, lakes or rivers. They are protected for conservation, the maintenance of waters, water quality, aquatic life, protecting natural values, and ensuring ongoing public access.[4]
- Stewardship areas are areas managed to protect the natural and historic values, which can be disposed of through a public process if retaining the land wouldn't "materially enhance the conservation or recreational values of adjacent land".[4]
- Other conservation and administrative land, including certain types of state forest land, private or Māori land protected by the Minister of Conservation, and land held by the Department of Conservation for offices or visitor centres.[4]
Ecological islands
The Department of Conservation and private trusts operate
- Island reserves include 50 offshore islands that are nature reserves and hundreds of other islands that the Department of Conservation manage.[28]
- Mainland islands are areas of the mainland North Island and South Island that are isolated by pest-exclusion fences, geographical features or intensive pest control.[29]
Locally protected areas
Many areas are protected and administered by local government:
- Regional parks are protected areas administered by regional councils and unitary authorities.
- Local parks are protected areas administered by territorial authorities and unitary authorities.
Internationally protected areas
There are ten areas in New Zealand protected by international law:
- There are seven Ramsar sites under the Ramsar Convention and administered by the Department of Conservation, covering an area of about 56,000 hectares (140,000 acres).[30][31] Most other wetlands are not formally protected, but projects have been established to restore those that remain.[30][32]
- There are three World Heritage Sites legally protected by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) due to their cultural, historical, scientific or other significance to humanity.[33] There are Te Wahipounamu, Tongariro National Park and the New Zealand Subantarctic Islands.[14]
Other protected areas
Other protected areas include many public and privately-owned wetlands.
References
- ^ Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand. Ministry for Culture and Heritage.
- ^ a b "Data Table - Protected Areas - LINZ Data Service". Land Information New Zealand. Retrieved 18 October 2017.
- ^ Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand. Ministry for Culture and Heritage.
- ^ Department of Conservation.
- ^ a b Section 18 and Section 19, Conservation Act 1987, New Zealand Parliament.
- ^ Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand. Ministry for Culture and Heritage.
- ^ "Resource Management Act 1991 No 69 (as at 11 July 2018), Public Act Coastal marine area – New Zealand Legislation". www.legislation.govt.nz. Retrieved 21 July 2018.
- ^ "No. 20. — Lord John Russell to Governor Hobson". nzetc.victoria.ac.nz. Retrieved 10 January 2019.
- ^ "Public Domains Act 1860 (24 Victoriae 1860 No 32)". www.nzlii.org. Retrieved 10 January 2019.
- ^ a b "Reserves Act Guide" (PDF). Department of Conservation. 2004.
- ^ Department of Conservation.
- Department of Conservation.
- ^ Hardy, Uniqua (10 May 2016). "The Oldest National Parks in the World". Culture Trip. Retrieved 17 January 2023.
- ^ a b "World Heritage List". unesco.org. UNESCO.
- ^ Ruru, Jacinta (October 2014). "Tūhoe-Crown settlement – Te Urewera Act 2014". Māori Law Review: 16–21.
- BBC Travel. BBC. 30 September 2021.
- ^ "Marine reserves". doc.govt.nz. Department of Conservation.
- ^ Molloy, Les (1 September 2015). "Protected areas – Scenic, historic, recreation and other reserves". Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand. Retrieved 6 January 2019.
- ^ Reserves Act 1977 s.16
- ^ "Board of Inquiry into the Turitea Wind Farm Proposal" (PDF). September 2011.
- ^ "Resource Management Act 1991 No 69 (as at 12 November 2018), Public Act 229 Purposes of esplanade reserves and esplanade strips – New Zealand Legislation". www.legislation.govt.nz. Retrieved 10 January 2019.
- ^ "New Zealand, Asia & Pacific". Protected Planet. World Database of Protected Areas. Retrieved 14 September 2020.
- ^ Fred B. Overmars, David A. Norton (14 November 2011). "Ecological areas – premier protected natural areas" (PDF).
- ^ "2.2 Overview of conservation values". www.doc.govt.nz. Retrieved 17 January 2022.
- ^ "Protection of land alongside rivers". www.doc.govt.nz. Retrieved 17 January 2022.
- ^ Molloy, Les (1 September 2015). "Protected areas - Specially protected areas". Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand. Retrieved 19 July 2023.
- ^ "Categories of conservation land". www.doc.govt.nz. Retrieved 17 January 2022.
- ^ "Offshore islands". doc.govt.nz. Department of Conservation.
- ^ "Mainland islands". doc.govt.nz. Department of Conservation.
- ^ a b "DOC's international wetlands role". Department of Conservation.
- ^ "Site list" (PDF). ramsar.org. Ramsar.
- ^ "Chapter 7: Key points". State of New Zealand's Environment 1997. Ministry for the Environment. Retrieved 28 May 2010.
Wetland areas have been reduced by about 85 percent in the last century and a half, from nearly 700,000 hectares to about 100,000 hectares.
- ^ "World Heritage Sites". unesco.org. UNESCO.