Volume One 8. Indigenous Biodiversity management purpose of the RMA, particularly when having regard to the following Section 7 matters of the RMA: (c) The maintenance and enhancement of amenity values. (d) Intrinsic values of ecosystems. (f) Maintenance and enhancement of the quality of the environment. (g) Any finite characteristics of natural and physical resources. Policy 8.2.10 – Promote to the general public and landowners the importance of protecting and maintaining indigenous biodiversity because of its intrinsic, conservation, social, economic, scientific, cultural, heritage and educational worth and for its contribution to natural character. Increasing awareness about the unique and diverse biodiversity of Marlborough is important. The policy recognises contributions towards protecting and maintaining biodiversity will see the Council continuing to work closely with the community. This approach has been fundamental to improving biodiversity to date, because to protect biodiversity on private land, the Council relies heavily on voluntary participation and proactive protection activity from landowners. Within the coastal environment this role is particularly important as the resources comprised in the coastal marine area are in public ownership. Coupled with imperatives in the RMA requiring the preservation of the natural character of the coastal environment, wetlands, lakes and rivers, the Council recognises that informing the public about Marlborough’s biodiversity is essential in helping to protect the values identified in the policy. Policy 8.2.11 – Promote corridors of indigenous vegetation along waterbodies to allow the establishment of native ecosystems and to provide wildlife habitat and linkages to other fragmented bush or wetland remnants. Riparian areas are the interface between land and water resources and provide important habitat for unique flora and fauna, including swamp nettle and whitebait spawning sites. Vegetation within the riparian area also contributes to freshwater habitat through the provision of refuge and the input of food and shade. For example, many native fish species are dependent on native terrestrial insects as a food source and these insects are often only found in indigenous riparian vegetation. Promoting ecological corridors on both public and private land therefore plays an important part in protecting ecosystems and maintaining and enhancing the quality and diversity of remaining natural areas. The opportunity already exists to improve biodiversity on Council-owned land along a number of waterways on the Wairau Plain, as well as alongside rivers in other catchments (e.g. Wakamarina, Rai, Onamalutu and Pelorus), despite these riparian areas being maintained for flood hazard mitigation. These river margins may not presently have particular value for biodiversity, but they could have in future with enhancement work such as the removal of plant pests and planting with native species. Policy 8.2.12 – Encourage and support private landowners, community groups and others in their efforts to protect, restore or re-establish areas of indigenous biodiversity. Not all of the responses to protecting, restoring or re-establishing indigenous biodiversity need to be achieved through the RMA or by regulation. For example, voluntary agreements can be put in place by various groups to protect species or habitats. There are also provisions in other statutes that can be used by various agencies to protect particular values and these may extend to also protecting important biodiversity values, e.g. the Marine Reserves Act 1971. The Council has also established programmes to assist landowners and community groups to protect and restore natural areas and ecosystems. This includes financial assistance to landowners willing to protect ecologically important areas on their properties. 8 – 9