STRATEGIC ANALYSIS OF OPTIONS TO IMPROVE MANAGEMENT OF ECOSYSTEMS AND BIODIVERSITY FOR OTAGO REGION R4262 STRATEGIC ANALYSIS OF OPTIONS TO IMPROVE MANAGEMENT OF ECOSYSTEMS AND BIODIVERSITY FOR OTAGO REGION Indigenous forest and grassland remnants in the North Branch Waikouaiti River. Contract Report No. 4262 June 2017 Project Team: Kelvin Lloyd - Project management, Report author Steve Rate - Report author Nathan Baker (Beca) - Report author Susan Jackson (Beca) - Report author Corinne Marti (Beca) - Report author Juliet O’Connell - GIS analyses Roger Bawden - GIS analyses William Shaw - Strategic advice Prepared for: Otago Regional Council 70 Stafford St Dunedin DUNEDIN OFFICE: 764 CUMBERLAND STREET, DUNEDIN 9016 Ph 03-477-2096, 03-477-2095 HEAD OFFICE: 99 SALA STREET, P.O. BOX 7137, TE NGAE, ROTORUA Ph 07-343-9017; Fax 07-343-9018, email
[email protected], www.wildlands.co.nz EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Otago Regional Council (ORC) is reviewing the roles it plays with respect to ecosystems and biological diversity, in order to give better effect to its statutory functions and responsibilities under the Resource Management Act 1991 (RMA). Regional councils have a broad mandate for maintaining indigenous biological diversity, stemming from Section 30(1) of the RMA. A number of national goals and policy statements are also relevant. Wildland Consultants and Beca were commissioned to analyse options to improve management of indigenous ecosystems and diversity for Otago. The scope of the project includes terrestrial, freshwater, and marine ecosystems within Otago. As part of the project, the statutory and non-statutory framework covering the project was assessed, current indigenous biodiversity values of Otago Region were summarised, ecosystem zones were delineated and described, organisations involved in protecting and enhancing indigenous biodiversity in Otago were identified and their activities summarised, and the aspirations of organisations with respect to roles for ORC were canvassed with a representative selection of organisation representatives.