Biodiversity and natural heritage

Regional Policy Statement objectives

The Regional Policy Statement has the following objectives relating to biodiversity and natural heritage.

3.11.4 Objective: Maintenance of biodiversity
Biodiversity within the region maintained or enhanced.

3.15.2 Objective: The region’s heritage
The protection of regionally significant heritage resources, and allowing subdivision, use and development of other heritage resources, while ensuring that there is no net loss in the region.

Key points from the review

• Waikato Regional Council has undertaken a wide range of activities, and has committed significant resources into activities, which help to manage regional biodiversity.
• Most methods in the policy statement and plans which support the objectives are being implemented.
• Resource use pressures on biodiversity and natural heritage are increasing.
• Public support and awareness of the need for protecting biodiversity is increasing.
• The biodiversity and natural heritage objectives are generally not being achieved due to pests, land use intensification, water pollution and lack of riparian protection, loss of connectivity, undervalued natural systems such as wetlands, and lack of formal protection for some ecosystem types.
• Aspects of natural heritage such as landscape and amenity values would benefit from stronger protection mechanisms.
• Biodiversity decline is a national issue as it is generally happening throughout New Zealand.
• Waikato Regional Council has recently undertaken a number of significant initiatives which will help to reverse the decline of biodiversity in future.