A newly-signed partnership between the Northland Regional Council and the Kiwi Coast Trust formally consolidates an existing strong working relationship between the pair.
Kiwi Coast Coordinator Ngaire Tyson says the partnership – signed at Pataua North on the 4th of September – builds on more than 20 years of successful community-led kiwi recovery work and will help both parties with their mutual biodiversity and community goals.
“Under the new partnership, Kiwi Coast will bring a cost-effective, community-driven model for connecting communities and enhancing Northland ecosystems,” Ms Tyson says. “Collectively Kiwi Coast groups are already contributing more than $500,000 worth of unpaid labour annually.”
Regional council Chairman Bill Shepherd says the council – which has itself been championing community-led pest control and kiwi recovery for many years – will in turn provide a number of resources (both practical and financial) to support Kiwi Coast.
Chairman Shepherd says Kiwi Coast has a truly impressive reach across a big swathe of the region, making it one of the largest community-led restoration projects of its type in the country.
“We already contribute roughly $300,000 a year through various funding streams to a number of community pest control projects within the Kiwi Coast area. Under the new agreement, we’ll now make an additional contribution of almost $90,000 annually to the trust itself over the next five years to help with the project’s coordination.”
“Council is proud to be able to contribute to Kiwi Coast’s ongoing successes and everyone involved looks forward to a day – hopefully not too far away – when kiwi will be able to roam safely and freely across the Kiwi Coast.”
