Protected areas of New Zealand explained

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 – is administered by the Department of Conservation. There are 13 national parks, thousands of reserves, 54 conservation parks, and a range of other conservation areas.

The department also manages 44 offshore and coastal marine reserves. Any development in Coastal Marine Areas, which extend up to the mean high water spring mark and up to a kilometre up rivers, require a resource consent under the Resource Management Act.[2]

History

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."[3]

The Public Reserves Act 1854 allowed the Crown to grant public-utility reserves to provinces. The Public Domains Act 1860 covered domains in Auckland and Wellington and allowed the Governor of New Zealand to buy other land.[4] These powers were further extended by the Public Reserves Act 1877, the Public Reserves Act 1881, the Public Reserves and Domains Act 1908, the Public Reserves, Domains and National Parks Act 1928, and the Reserves and Domains Act 1953.[5]

The Reserves Act 1977 superseded previous acts. 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.

National parks

The National Parks Act 1980 provides high protection significant areas known as national parks.[6] 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. The first national park, Tongariro National Park, is one of the ten oldest national parks in the world, and has its origins in the gifting of land for a protected area in 1887.[7] It was formally established as a national park in 1894 and is now a World Heritage Site.[8] Te Urewera National Park, established in 1954, was disestablished in 2014 when Te Urewera was returned to the Tuhoe people.[9] [10] As of 2015, there are 13 national parks covering a combined .[11] [12]

Marine reserves

The Marine Reserves Act 1971 protects several marine areas around New Zealand known as marine reserves.[13] In these areas there is a complete ban on fishing, and on removing or disturbing marine life.[14]

The first marine reserve, Cape Rodney-Okakari Point Marine Reserve, was established in 1975. As of 2015, there are 44 marine reserves covering 9.5 percent of its coastal waters within 12 nautical miles of the coast.

Reserves

The Department of Conservation administers several types of reserve under the Reserves Act 1977:[15]

Conservation areas

The Department of Conservation administers several types of conservation areas under the Conservation Act 1987:[20]

Ecological islands

The Department of Conservation and private trusts operate ecological islands as protected habitats for endemic and native New Zealand species.

Locally protected areas

Many areas are protected and administered by local government:

Internationally protected areas

There are ten areas in New Zealand protected by international law:

Other protected areas

Other protected areas include many public and privately-owned wetlands.

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Molloy . Les . Protected areas . . Ministry for Culture and Heritage.
  2. Web site: Resource Management Act 1991 No 69 (as at 11 July 2018), Public Act Coastal marine area – New Zealand Legislation. www.legislation.govt.nz. en-NZ. 2018-07-21.
  3. Web site: No. 20. — Lord John Russell to Governor Hobson. nzetc.victoria.ac.nz. 2019-01-10.
  4. Web site: Public Domains Act 1860 (24 Victoriae 1860 No 32). www.nzlii.org. 2019-01-10.
  5. Web site: Reserves Act Guide. 2004. Department of Conservation.
  6. Web site: National Parks Act 1980 . doc.govt.nz . Department of Conservation.
  7. Web site: Hardy . Uniqua . 2016-05-10 . The Oldest National Parks in the World . 2023-01-17 . Culture Trip . en.
  8. Web site: World Heritage List . unesco.org . UNESCO.
  9. Ruru . Jacinta . October 2014 . Tūhoe-Crown settlement – Te Urewera Act 2014 . Māori Law Review . 16–21.
  10. News: Te Urewera: New Zealand's 'living' rainforest . . . 30 September 2021.
  11. Web site: Swarbrick . Nancy . National parks . . Ministry for Culture and Heritage.
  12. Web site: Data Table - Protected Areas - LINZ Data Service. Land Information New Zealand. 2017-10-18.
  13. Web site: Hutching . Gerard . Marine conservation - Protected areas . . Ministry for Culture and Heritage.
  14. Web site: Marine reserves . doc.govt.nz . Department of Conservation.
  15. Web site: Reserves Act 1977 . doc.govt.nz . Department of Conservation.
  16. Encyclopedia: Protected areas – Scenic, historic, recreation and other reserves . Les . Molloy . Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand . 1 September 2015 . 6 January 2019.
  17. http://www.legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1977/0066/latest/whole.html#DLM444626 Reserves Act 1977 s.16
  18. Web site: Board of Inquiry into the Turitea Wind Farm Proposal. September 2011.
  19. Web site: 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. 2019-01-10.
  20. Web site: Conservation Act 1987 . doc.govt.nz . Department of Conservation.
  21. http://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1987/0065/latest/DLM104682.html?search=ts_act_Conservation+act Section 18
  22. Web site: New Zealand, Asia & Pacific . Protected Planet . World Database of Protected Areas . 14 September 2020.
  23. Web site: Fred B. Overmars. David A. Norton. 14 November 2011. Ecological areas – premier protected natural areas.
  24. Web site: 2.2 Overview of conservation values. 2022-01-17. www.doc.govt.nz. en-nz.
  25. Web site: Protection of land alongside rivers. 2022-01-17. www.doc.govt.nz. en-nz.
  26. Encyclopedia: Protected areas - Specially protected areas . Les . Molloy . . 1 September 2015 . 19 July 2023.
  27. Web site: Categories of conservation land. 2022-01-17. www.doc.govt.nz. en-nz.
  28. Web site: Offshore islands . doc.govt.nz . Department of Conservation.
  29. Web site: Mainland islands . doc.govt.nz . Department of Conservation.
  30. Web site: DOC's international wetlands role . Department of Conservation.
  31. Web site: Site list . ramsar.org . Ramsar.
  32. Web site: Chapter 7: Key points . State of New Zealand's Environment 1997 . Ministry for the Environment . 2010-05-28 . 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..
  33. Web site: World Heritage Sites . unesco.org . UNESCO.