8. Indigenous Biodiversity Volume One taken or set aside upon subdivision, or as a financial contribution on activities not requiring subdivision consent. The Council may also negotiate with landowners outside of these more formal processes if the values are significant enough to warrant protection. Policy 8.2.7 – A strategic approach to the containment/eradication of undesirable animals and plants that impact on indigenous biodiversity values will be developed and maintained. The wide range of pest species present in Marlborough, their location, characteristics and spread, means that a range of responses is necessary to deal with them and protect indigenous biodiversity. This can occur through rules in the Council’s regional pest management plan, national pest management strategies, provision of information and advice to landowners, consent holders and the public, biological and physical control, monitoring and surveillance and at times, direct funding to landowners to help protect significant sites from pests. It is important to acknowledge that landowners (including statutory organisations) have a significant responsibility for controlling and managing pest animals and plants. Often the resources required (technologically or financially) to effectively manage pests with physical control methods across the entire District are not available. The most effective and efficient approach will be to target pests at sites of high ecological value where they can be realistically managed to protect particular values or areas. This approach will rely on strong partnerships with landowners. To date the Council has had limited involvement or experience in dealing with pests in the coastal marine area, but what work has been done has focussed on managing pests for economic reasons, especially for the marine farming industry in the Marlborough Sounds. Part of the Council’s strategic approach for the coastal marine area has seen the establishment of a collaborative partnership to help build capability and put in place a framework to manage future biosecurity threats. Policy 8.2.8 – Where monitoring of ecosystems, habitats and areas with significant indigenous biodiversity value shows that there is a loss of or deterioration in condition of these sites, then the Marlborough District Council will review the approach to protection. Ongoing monitoring of the condition of sites with significant indigenous biodiversity value will be necessary to determine if the methods in the MEP are helping to improve the overall condition of significant indigenous biodiversity in Marlborough. Where state of the environment monitoring shows a loss of or deterioration in the condition of significant sites as a result of the voluntary approach to protection, then the Council will review the voluntary approach to determine whether increased use of regulation should be pursued. Any changes to the MEP as a result of this review would only occur through the First Schedule process of the RMA. Policy 8.2.9 – Maintain, enhance or restore ecosystems, habitats and areas of indigenous biodiversity even where these are not identified as significant in terms of the criteria in Policy 8.1.1, but are important for: (a) the continued functioning of ecological processes; (b) providing connections within or corridors between habitats of indigenous flora and fauna; (c) cultural purposes; (d) providing buffers or filters between land uses and wetlands, lakes or rivers and the coastal marine area; (e) botanical, wildlife, fishery and amenity values; (f) biological and genetic diversity; and (g) water quality, levels and flows. This policy identifies a range of factors that are important for the overall functioning of ecological processes. However, it is important to recognise that not all areas with indigenous biodiversity value will be considered significant. Nonetheless, these areas still add to the overall sustainable 8 – 8