Members of the Northland Conservation Board with DoC Staff at Ruakaka. |
In the fifth of a series of articles on Conservation in Whangarei Heads, David Monro writes about the role of the Department of Conservation:
On the Richter scale the jolt of the All Blacks' loss to France was probably topped only by the aftershock of calls for the coach to be sacked, a need to blame someone, anyone, for expectations not met.
I have enough to do with the Department of Conservation (DOC) to realise that they do an excellent job; so I wonder if the criticism I hear from time to time comes from people who have unrealistic expectations?
“What is DOC's role at Whangarei Heads?” I asked John Gardiner, Whangarei Area Manager for DOC. “What can the public expect?”
“Occasionally we drop the ball,” admitted John, following my rugby analogy. “But sack the coach? I hope not!”
DOC's responsibility, John tells me, is to manage public owned crown land for its conservation, recreation and historic value.
What DOC can and can't do is defined by legal, regulatory, and financial constraints. As members of the public we don't always appreciate what these constraints are; nor are we party to the rationale behind the way in which DOC prioritises how its limited resources will best be used. At one moment we may see DOC resourcing the eradication of pests on private land while else where ignoring the pests on a piece of crown land, not realising that the former is adjacent to a high priority reserve and the latter of low conservation potential. This can lead to public confusion and unfulfilled expectations.
Confusion can also stem from the fact that some public land in the Heads area is the responsibility of Whangarei District Council (WDC), not DOC. Mt Aubrey Reserve is a case in point, where the WDC has done an excellent job of upgrading the walking track. But if fire breaks out in the Mt Aubrey bush DOC has to take charge because it is within one kilometre of the Mt Manaia Reserve, a piece of crown land. From whom do you seek a permit to burn garden rubbish within 1 km of crown land? Answer - DOC, not the WDC, nor the local volunteer fire brigade!
As for endangered wildlife, the Wildlife Act gives DOC authority to protect and administer anything to do with protected wildlife species, such as kiwi, regardless of where the species may be living, so again, we may see DOC being involved on private property.
For rule of thumb - if it’s crown land it's DOC's responsibility; if it's not, it might be! But for clarification talk to DOC and find out where their responsibility may be in relation to your situation.
We talked about the integration of private groups and DOC in the Whangarei Heads area. Nowhere else in New Zealand, says John, does DOC have such an excellent relationship with Landcare groups, and much of the credit for this goes to local resident Helen Moodie of the N.Z. Landcare Trust.
DOC staff also give considerable technical and scientific advice to individuals and private land owners who are grappling with environmental issues, especially pest and weed control. And whereas the advice is given at no direct cost to the “consumer”, the wages, training, transport and time of the staff comes at considerable cost to the Department.
If you have conservation enquiries, give Reuben Williams, Programme Manager and Community Relations Officer in DOC's Area Office a ring (09) 430 2133, or speak with Jeannie Hogarth, Secretary for the Northland Conservation Board (09) 430 2470. The Board has an advocacy role for the public with DOC.
In the photo above Rueben Williams (second from the right) outlines issues of beach access at Ruakaka with members of the Northland Conservation Board on a recent field trip. John Gardiner stands on the extreme right. Whangarei Heads forms the back drop.
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