The new millennium

In 2000 the New Zealand Biodiversity Strategy and new funding for five kiwi sanctuaries brought in a new era of biodiversity conservation, with stronger science, more pest control, more pest-free offshore island sanctuaries, and experimental management of threatened species.

A $2.5 million funding boost for work with communities in 2000-2001, brought in by the Green Party and followed up by the Minister, Sandra Lee, led to hundreds of partnerships with communities across the country. DOC's conservation with communities strategy, completed in 2003, revealed a change in Department thinking, that its future would be inextricably linked to working with others.

As well, the Biofunds grants saw a huge increase in community and landowner-based conservation. Today there are more than 3000 such projects nationwide."

Campbell Island rat eradication

But the scale of the biodiversity conservation problem as it is known today is much larger than envisaged in 2000, let alone 1987.

Where DOC is doing the work, it is doing well, reviews have found, but there are many areas where the work is not being done, often for reasons beyond DOC's control, and overall, New Zealand's native species biodiversity continues to decline. The kiwi for example is managed in only 5 per cent of its range and in much of the remaining area is in decline.

In 2002 the World Conservation Union (IUCN) classification of threatened species was replaced by a DOC system better suited to New Zealand's island ecology. It had on its cover an image of an endangered Chatham Island weevil on its only food source, an endangered speargrass, to make the point that the cold, clammy and spiny, as well as vegetation are as worthy of conservation as our iconic birds.

The same year Rakiura/Stewart Island became New Zealand's 14th national park. Around this time the Department began fleshing out a project - the Nature Heritage Management System - to do for native species conservation that which had been done for managing visitor assets.

Also at this time two rat plagues in the South Island severely dented the remaining populations of orange-fronted kākāriki, mohua, and to a lesser extent whio and long-tailed bat. In response, Conservation Minister Chris Carter announced Operation Ark in 2003, an early warning system for predator plagues and resources for multi-species pest control. Stoat plagues were eliminating kiwi chicks at Okarito. That year DOC confirmed Campbell Island rat free after a massive eradication operation.

In 2004 the Recreational Opportunities Review came on the heels of a massive injection of capital and operational funding into recreation facilities, leading to hut and track upgrades, and matching the assets provided with public need.

General Policies were introduced in 2005 to provide a "standard of care" across the Department and ensure that all conservation values are taken into account when managing a particular site. The two documents, one for conservation generally, and one for national parks, include a need to manage "ecosystem services", such as water and soil conservation and carbon storage.

The same year a series of studies started to measure the economic impacts of activities, mainly tourism and recreation, in selected conservation areas, starting with the West Coast. They showed there is a wider economic value in conservation than commonly understood and rebut claims that "DOC land" is a lock-up of resources.

Also in 2004 work stepped up on managing the effects of an impending lahar on Mt Ruapehu, along the upper Whangaehu River. At the year's end Prime Minister Helen Clark announced that New Zealand's single-largest landholding, Molesworth Station, would be managed for conservation, with the existing farm.

As at 2007 DOC has published 59 species recovery plans, including kākāpō (pop. 86), whio, several sea and shore bird species, native frogs, wētā, native fish, giant landsnails, bats, diverse lizard and plant species. As knowledge increases, more species become added to the threatened species lists and today there are around 2800. To put the figure in perspective, there may be as many as 30,000 species of insect alone in New Zealand, if there were any way of counting them.

The Biodiversity Strategy also drew additional resources for marine protection. Since 2002 the number of marine reserves has doubled over those established between 1975 and 2000. With the tally shortly to reach 33, the marine environment has received more attention than previously but there is still progress to be made.

For instance, attempts to better protect the New Zealand sea lion failed when the fishing industry overturned a squid fisheries closure in the courts - revealing the limits of using the precautionary approach to conserve the marine environment.

The Department has a new Strategic Direction, under the leadership of Director-General Alastair Morrison, looking at the broader social and economic context of conservation, which has always been present but is being brought into sharper focus.

DOC is working towards joining a whole-of-government commitment to sustainability, and is looking into the contribution it can make to New Zealand's international obligations on climate change. The move of Head Office into Conservation House will lead to energy savings and help DOC meet govt3 sustainablity commitments.

The Mt Ruapehu lahar passed almost without incident a fortnight before the 20th anniversary; all emergency and risk management systems worked as expected.

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