Turei Metiria: Budget Debate 
Turei Metiria: Budget Debate 
[Volume:639;Page:9662] 
METIRIA TUREI (Green) 
: 
 Tena koe Mr Deputy Speaker. One of the major highlights in this year’s Budget which has been talked about across the country is the $8.8 million over the next 4 years that I and my party the Green Party have negotiated in the Budget. This money will be used in conjunction with local communities for the integrated habitat management of three of New Zealand’s most significant wetlands. I briefly alert Mr Cullen to the fact that in his Budget speech not only did he wrongly take credit for this new money for the Department of Conservation but also he got the description of its purpose completely wrong. I tell Mr Cullen that we do not need management of pests in this country to the extent that he was talking about. 
The three wetland areas where this money is directed are major assets to this country. The first is the Whangamarino Wetland near Hamilton. At well over 5500 hectares the Whangamarino Wetland is home to 239 wetland plant species including many rare and vulnerable species 60 percent of which are indigenous. It plays a major role in flood control in the Waikato area it is a key waterbird habitat and it is home to native fish including the short-finned and long-finned eels. The Whangamarino Wetland is listed as a wetland of national importance under the Ramsar Convention. A number of invertebrates inhabit the wetland including seven species of mollusc and—perhaps Mr Cullen might be interested in this—seven species of water flea. Aquatic insect life includes dragonflies damselflies water beetles crane flies midges and a tiny water skate which is possibly the most abundant animal in this wetland. The only species of moth in New Zealand with an aquatic larva is common in the Whangamarino Wetland. 
The second wetland area comprises the Ashburton Lakes and upper Rangitata River up behind the Canterbury Plains. It was here on the shores of Maori Lake that I announced this new funding to a group of Department of Conservation workers Green Party people environmentalists and high-country farmers—and I thank them all for attending. This area is one of the best remaining high-country wetland complexes in our country. The nearby premium-braided river habitats remain outstanding examples of freshwater ecology. About 12 lakes and tarns drain generally into the Ashburton River; and Lake Heron which is included drains northwards into the extensive wetland and into the Rakaia catchment. The lakes are bounded by glacial moraines outwash and alluvial fans and feature kettle holes and former glacial surfaces. The smallest lakes freeze over in the winter. Each differs in the details by having either streamside swamps stony beaches or turflands. The upper Rangitata is one of the few braided river habitats left in New Zealand that is largely free of invasive weeds. This money will help to protect species supported by these habitats such as the wrybill the crested grebe and a range of threatened flora. 
The third wetland is the area of Awarua and Waituna in Southland covering over 3000 hectares. Waituna Lagoon was listed as a Ramsar site in 1976 and is home to at least 76 bird species and more than 150 native plant species among its unique moor-like vegetation. The species present in this wetland are otherwise confined to mountainous areas of above 900 metres in the North Island so it is very special. It is an important summer refuge and feeding area for many migratory wading birds and is an important trout fishery and native fish habitat. The wetland contains the Waituna Lagoon along with adjacent peatlands numerous ponds and lakes and of course the coastline. 
All three of these areas are well used and supported by community hapu iwi and environmental groups. They are regularly used and appreciated by the public. Whangamarino has a human catchment of 2 million people. The money in the Budget is well over 10 times what is currently spent on the management of these areas. Only just over 45000 hectares of wetlands remain in New Zealand—less than 10 percent of what was originally here. Habitat destruction from farming and other development has been the main cause of our wetlands loss and because of this a number of wetland species have become uncommon or endangered. 
Yet there are significant ecological and economic values in wetlands. The Department of Conservation has just released a report  
The Economic Values of Whangamarino Wetland 
 that looks at the wetland’s role in the flood protection scheme of the lower Waikato River. That report shows that the managed use of the wetland as a store of flood waters has avoided damage bills to the area of over $5 million—damage that would otherwise have been caused during the 1998 floods. Since 1995 there have been 11 floods where Whangamarino and its water storage function have been critical to the protection of the surrounding areas. There are other similar reports such as the  
Economic Benefits of Water in Te Papanui Conservation Park 
 report which showed that the value of the water resources provided by Te Papanui and the tussock grasses of the Lammermoore Range in Otago was around $136 million. These analyses show that for every dollar we invest in conservation many many more dollars are returned to our communities and our economy in the form of ecological services. Conservation funding is an investment in our future economic and ecological security. 
Private interest in wetland conservation in New Zealand is also growing. I visited farms where wetlands have been restored amongst the sheep and the cows and have become a major source of pride for those farmers who care for them. I have talked with farmers—as has my colleague Nandor Tanczos—who have worked very hard to fence off waterways and to help protect the water quality that goes into these wetland areas. 
Our wetlands project is directed towards working with all the communities that have an interest in wetlands and water quality and that means that the Department of Conservation will have to work with local farming communities. Increasing nutrient loading for example from increasingly intensive land use is a major and the most common threat to our wetland sites. This Budget funding will support riparian management of contributing waterways through liaison with these landowners to promote and support fencing retirement from grazing planting and all those options. We expect to see the application of models of community involvement for long-term solutions as much of the contributing land in each catchment is not managed by the Department of Conservation. So we need the support of the local community. That means that long-term restoration requires long-term relationship building with the local people. This is money invested in a transformative process. 
We in the Greens do not favour quick-fix projects that support only a very narrow constituency. We use all of our political opportunities to benefit the most people with a very clear focus on long-term ecological sustainability. This Green Party initiative is yet another example of how we prioritise funding that provides long-term ecological social and economic benefit to our community. Thank you.