Conservation Policy

Forest and Bird, Issue 307, 1 February 2003, Page 18

Conservation Policy

GORDON ELL

CHRIS CARTER

In an interview with.

the new Minister of Conservation, Hon

, says he

wants tangible results from his department.

he Hon. Chris Carter has an outstanding example to follow. As Minister of Conservation, and of Local Government, he follows the Hon. Sandra Lee who might well have been described by conservationists as the "Yes Minister’. Her achievements in three short years will have a lasting impact on the future of wild New Zealand — along with the Prime Minister saving the last of the forest from milling in Westland, creating new parks and reserves, extracting more funding for conservation, and campaigning internationally for whales. A former executive member of Forest and Bird, Sandra Lee was always up with the issues, and acting on them, sometimes before the conservation campaigns were formulated. Chris Carter is conscious of Sandra Lee’s achievements and in the first 10 weeks of his tenure had already spent time with her on Waiheke Island, and in frequent phone calls. ‘Sandra is a good friend of mine and I gave her an undertaking I'd like to continue working with her’ Town-bred, Chris Carter has nevertheless been close to the land. After teaching history at secondary level, he spent 16 years chicken farming in the Te Henga valley of the Waitakere Ranges. It is a place beloved of conservationists, and the local community has included several wellknown activists — including Gary Taylor, Mark Bellingham, Annette Lees and John Staniland. Chris Carter and his partner farmed 28 acres just across the river from Forest and Bird’s expanding Matuku Reserve. It was serendipity that one of his first official calls was to present $140,000 from the Nature Heritage Fund for the expansion of the reserve. He’s never been a member of Forest and Bird, however. ‘One of those people who are sympathetic out there but never got around to it? He does belong to Greenpeace; is

particularly proud of sailing to Mururoa to protest the French nuclear testing there. ‘T belong to Politicians for Global Action which is an international group of politicians committed to nuclear disarmament and peace. When the National Government sent the Tui as a supply vessel to the peace fleet I was nominated to represent the Opposition.’ He met a lot of international Greenpeace people there. It was a stimulating three-and-a-half weeks for the first-term back bencher. After 10 weeks as a Minister, Chris Carter is already up with the issues; trying new solutions. On the management of the Abel Tasman foreshore he’s negotiating for joint management initiatives between the Department of Conservation and the Tasman District Council which could lead to more rational access and control tourist pressures. He’s had to sort out the protection of a surplus Crown research forest in the Mamaku Plateau near Rotorua; he’s visited Tuhua (Mayor Island in the Bay of Plenty) for the creation of a Maori wildlife reserve. He’s also been on Maori marae concerned with Nga Whenua Rahui protection, and visited DoC

‘Fine words are great but I want to see some tangible results."

conservancies, meeting the people, viewing their problems. ‘The Director-General tells me the department is "reeling" as a result... ’'m not being boastful about it...but I learned as a teacher that the best way of getting results is to get things moving, and I’m really keen on seeing outcomes. ‘Fine words are great but I want to see some tangible results... ‘For example, I’ve been very concerned

about our seabird campaign — the protocol we signed with the United Nations on the protection of seabirds — that strategy has just been sitting at DoC so I’ve given them a "rev-up" on that so we get something concrete underway. Chris Carter soon found the kind of controversy that can spring from the bicultural nature of his job: defending the expense of including three Maori elders accompanying some Archey’s frogs on transfer to a research laboratory at Lincoln. ‘Firstly it was a very worthwhile conservation project because frogs are internationally at risk from the virus which is spreading globally, he says, measuring out the arguments. ‘Secondly the involvement of iwi in that issue was very important as iwi have a traditional relationship with indigenous species, and we need to acknowledge that. Thirdly, and most importantly however, it was another way to involve another group of people in conservation. ‘One of the great challenges I see as Minister is to make as wide a cross-section of the community as possible aware that conservation is actually in the best interests of all New Zealanders, he says. ‘Traditionally the relationship between DoC and some iwi groups has been a troubled one. And building those links and bridges is very important. ‘We need to get people involved as much as possible. Getting volunteers, people like Forest and Bird and its wonderful Kiwi Conservation Club involved — young and old — the trust which is planting on Motutapu, the whole development of Tiritiri Matangi are other examples — it’s good for the groups, it’s good for conservation and it’s good for the community. Turning to the subject areas of Forest and Bird’s current campaigns, I remind him that, despite her many successes, Sandra Lee wasn't able to make much progress

with marine reserves. Chris Carter has since been able to introduce to the House a stronger Marine Reserves Bill (drafted during Sandra Lee’s term in office) which also reduces barriers to their creation. ‘Tm a very strong supporter of marine reserves. Introducing the new Marine Reserves Bill gave me an opportunity to state how important I believe marine reserves to be. Not only for how they protect biodiversity but to help New Zealanders learn about our marine environment. Also to meet Labour’s election pledge to preserve 10 percent of our coast in marine protected areas by 2010. I’m very conscious we’re an awful long way from that. ‘T’ve instructed the Department of Conservation that marine reserves are my highest priority, he says. "The failures to date have been one of my greatest disappointments. There’ve been some strong vested interests in the way till now. I’m hoping the new legislation will speed up the process. He’s hoping the Bill will become law by the middle of 2003. On other issues central to Forest and Bird’s current campaigns the Minister is prepared to commit himself. On the need for high-country and drylands reserves he says ‘both I and the Prime Minister see this as very, very important. Early on in his tenure, he flew the length of the South Island high country, as a guest of the Federated Mountains Clubs, to get a grip on the areas involved. With him flew the Prime Minister, Rt Hon. Helen Clark, and the Minister in charge of Land Information New Zealand, the Hon. John Tamihere. (LINZ is responsible for the current process of land-tenure review whereby Crown-owned high country is being sorted into separate freehold blocks and conservation land in places where farmers prefer ownership to tenancy.) ‘We're really concerned to see public access to the high country, and keeping unique landscapes in the high country in public ownership, the Minister says. "I am keen to ensure as much of this estate is kept for the public as possible, and also that the issue of access is addressed. Apparently the issue isn’t close just to his heart — the Prime Minister is a keen tramper and skier ‘and it’s close to her heart too... Now we’re trying to sort out a process whereby those environments are protected for future generations. ‘T’m also very attracted to the idea of a national park in the high country behind Kaikoura, he says of a current Forest and Bird proposal. ‘I’m thinking about scoping exercises now, and how best we can facilitate that. He reminds me that the Society also has a Save the Kiwi campaign. He has been to Mt

Bruce and to Auckland Zoo to establish the science of taking young birds from the wild and raising them to a size where they can cope on their own in the bush. He’s keen to increase the number of kiwi zones, presently just five. I ask him if this means he’s in favour of a handful of mainland islands for threatened birds with everything else in-between being sacrificed? ‘You could give away our nature going down that track, he agrees. ‘The Government’s commitment of $187 million over five years to the Biodiversity Strategy is a good start, he believes. ‘It comes down to how much we value our unique biodiversity.... Well, I value it very highly. ‘As a politician I am very aware that there are only finite resources and there’s lots of claims on them... but I’m certainly going to advocate for that sum to be spent well, and in the future that it be added to. ‘We need to sort out pest control... Do we just have mainland islands or do we look more widely?’ Chris Carter says. ‘?’m conscious there are still large areas of New Zealand where there’s no possum control. 1080 has been very successful but I’m keen to explore other ways of controlling pests too: I’m not sure how long people will support the dropping of poisons, and ’m keen to see money going into funding alternatives. On the environment of his own electorate, which lies below the Waitakere Ranges of the Auckland West Coast, we discuss another Forest and Bird campaign for greater protection. ‘T lived in the foothills of the Waitakeres for almost 20 years: I love the area, he says. ‘T’ve been exploring with Waitakere City and my Parliamentary colleagues, Jonathan Hunt, Lynne Pillay and Dave Cunliffe,

options for a national park covering the Ranges. We’ve been encouraging Waitakere City to have some sort of better protection status for the Ranges and the west coast seascapes, using the mechanism of a local Bill’. (That is a Bill sponsored on behalf of the territorial local body by a private member of the House, in this case Lynne Pillay, the new MP for Waitakere.) ‘Lots of friends out in the Waitakeres Ranges have been very passionate about some sort of protection for the Ranges. ‘But a national park?’ Tm looking for an improved protection status for it. Whatever we call it is irrelevant to me. What’s important is that we can

"The Government’s commitment of $187 million over five years to the Biodiversity Strategy is a good start."

protect the unique landscapes through some sort of statutory protection. When it comes time to take a portrait photograph, Chris Carter suggests that the vegetable garden behind the electoral office could be a good location. He likes gardening, has a large vegetable garden at home, but has also dug this square behind the suburban bungalow which serves as Labour offices for west Auckland. After the picture is taken he wants to add something. It’s this: ‘Tm so glad the Prime Minister gave me this job as Minister of Conservation. It’s a fantastic job with a real sense of doing good work, something for the future of the country. Hopefully, at the end of my time as Minister of Conservation there'll be some real achievements and I can say, ‘T helped that happen,