The well-being of te Taiao, communities, whanau and hapū on Aotea Great Barrier Island are supported by investment in iwi and community led conservation and specialist council Environmental Services. Councillors need to ensure Local Board and centrally held budgets for all-natural environment work on Aotea and iwi and community led conservation continue - to avoid losing the value of past investments. This will in turn help towards meeting Auckland Council's legislative obligations to maintain indigenous biodiversity across the region.

To achieve this, we support restoring the Natural Environment Targeted Rate (NETR) and Water Quality Targeted Rate (WQTR) to their previous levels plus an adjustment for inflation. Specifically for Aotea it means supporting the Local Board’s priorities over the ten-year timeframe, as stated in the consultation document, which are in the Council’s power to deliver. Aotea is regionally very significant for freshwater, terrestrial and marine biodiversity and warrants this long-term investment relative to other board areas. In particular we support:

• Long term funding for Tū Mai Taonga in the 10-year budget.

• An increase in the resourcing and funding of the Marine Biosecurity team, who will be critical in preventing the spread of Caulerpa in the region from Aotea. Current staffing and budgets are a drop in the ocean, as is the proposed allocation of $200,000 to Caulerpa noted in the Discussion Document given Auckland’s long coastline and Marine Biosecurity risks.

• Ongoing support for community conservation, restoration and pest animal and plant management through regional budgets to ensure past investment is not wasted and gains can continue.

• Support for increased investment in Ahu Moana and related initiatives to protect the coastal waters and ecosystems of Aotea.

• Specialist seabird capability being appropriately resourced and funded within Auckland Council to reflect the global significance of the region for ground nesting seabirds.

Auckland Council is the single biggest influencer of natural environment outcomes in the region

• The heavy lifting of conservation in the Auckland region is done by Auckland Council, tangata whenua and communities.

• Auckland Council alone is responsible for maintaining indigenous biodiversity in the region and in our coastal waters.

• The 2024-2034 LTP must resource Council teams, iwi, and communities efficiently to continue work already started.

• And ensure negative environmental impacts from growth, infrastructure and land use do not occur.

Recognition of the environment is clear in the proposal, and this is welcomed, but more investment and focus on outcomes is needed

• The vision and objectives are not achievable without more targeted action and investment.

• The options discussed (Central, Pay More, & Pay Less) are not the only options.

• Restoring NETR and WQTR should be a bottom line for the 2024-2034 LTP.

• Even with this investment, more needs to be done to reverse biodiversity and ecosystem declines.

This LTP sets a vision for Auckland’s environment

“We want to create an Auckland that is beautiful, thriving, and safe, for all Aucklanders... a stunning natural environment – harbours, beaches, forests, maunga, islands, urban trees – that can be accessed and enjoyed by Aucklanders across the region”.

But how will it be made a reality, given the scale of the problems we need to solve?

• Access to nature is limited for many Aucklanders.

• Native species are under threat from pest plants and predators.

• Wetland and freshwater systems lost or degraded.

• Multiple threats to harbours.

• Hauraki Gulf has been declining for more than two decades.

• Twenty-five species of seabirds breed in the region, all threatened.

• Marine life in coastal waters is a shadow of what it was.

Auckland’s biodiversity will continue to decline under the 2024-2034 LTP proposal

• No significant environmental outcomes are specified.

• No goals for water quality – freshwater bodies, harbours or estuaries No goals for invasive species control.

• Silent on species abundance and species extinctions.

• Marine biodiversity and ecosystems are under huge pressure but there is little investment in these areas.

• Climate warming will increase threats.

What does Priority 5: “making the most of our harbours and environment” mean in reality in 2024-2034?

• NETR and WQTR were created because Auckland Council had not prioritised the natural environment or water quality.

• Historic levels of investment had not been enough, and the environment suffered.

• On the other hand, community and iwi participation and support have increased markedly in the last 6 years.

• And blue/green infrastructure is now known to be critical as out climate warms.

• Now is not the time to trade off Auckland’s natural assets.

Caulerpa: LTP can do more than allocate $200k – and can change the outcomes...

• Advocate to government for a fit for purpose plan and budget.

• Increase marine biosecurity capacity to match Auckland’s coastal risks.

• Regional co-ordination and control/removal plan.

• Truly enable local response from iwi and communities.

• Streamline approvals.

• Build long term marine capacity and knowledge systems at same time.

• Include invasive marine species in RPMP.

Local boards are key

• But most of the significant natural taonga in the region are found in a few Local Board areas – and those communities and iwi need to be supported long term to protect them.

• “Fairness of funding” is therefore also needed to achieve better natural environment outcomes.

• Consider which Local Boards can enable the best outcomes and fund them accordingly e.g. Aotea Great Barrier, which has regionally significant wetlands, forests and freshwater as well as marine ecosystems and a number of endemic species.

We support further investment in Māori outcomes in the LTP in relation to te Taiao as the discussion document states

“Kaitiakitanga: the council actively provides for Māori participation in the management of taonga resources. The council works with mana whenua and Māori in the management, restoration, and protection of our water resources, and works with mana whenua and Māori to design/co-design and deliver environmental management and community-led conservation initiatives”.

• The LTP investment in Māori Outcomes should support this intent.

• The Ngāti Rehua-Ngātiwai ki Aotea led Tū Mai Taonga project is generating environmental, social and Māori outcomes and should be supported by Nga Matarae and Environmental Services with long term funding over the 10-year plan. This will anchor the project and attract other government and philanthropic investment as has been the case in the first two years of its operation.

• We note that this project is also a 10-year priority for the Aotea Great Barrier Local Board.

IN SUMMARY

We request that Council honour the intent of the LTP’s vision and priorities and increase investment in the natural environment regardless of which option Aucklanders choose.