Hon JUDITH COLLINS to the Prime Minister: Does she stand by all her Government’s statements and actions?
HELEN WHITE to the Minister of Finance: What recent reports has he seen on the New Zealand economy?
Hon PAUL GOLDSMITH to the Minister of Education: Does he stand by all his statements and policies on education?
GINNY ANDERSEN to the Minister of Housing: What recent announcements has she made about the Government’s transitional housing programme?
NICOLA WILLIS to the Minister of Housing: Has the Government kept the commitment made in the 2017 Speech from the Throne to develop a ‘Rent to Own’ scheme; if so, how many families has the scheme helped into houses since then?
ANAHILA KANONGATA'A-SUISUIKI to the Minister for Social Development and Employment: What support has the Ministry of Social Development provided to people and families affected by recent COVID-19 restrictions?
NICOLE McKEE to the Minister of Police: Will Government actions reduce gang crime and gang numbers this year?
IBRAHIM OMER to the Lead Coordination Minister for the Government's Response to the Royal Commission's Report into the Terrorist Attack on the Christchurch Mosques: What recent engagement has there been with the Muslim and other ethnic communities on the Royal Commission of Inquiry into the terrorist attack on Christchurch masjidain?
SIMEON BROWN to the Minister of Police: Does she stand by her commitment to achieve the Striving Towards 1800 New Police initiative; if so, when will she achieve this initiative?
TEANAU TUIONO to the Minister for Economic and Regional Development: What advice, if any, has he received about the upcoming launch in New Zealand of a satellite that includes the “Gunsmoke-J” payload from the United States Army’s Space and Missile Defense Command?
MARJA LUBECK to the Minister for Workplace Relations and Safety: What recent announcements has he made about improving the Holidays Act 2003?
TIM VAN DE MOLEN to the Minister for Building and Construction: How many applications has the Residential Earthquake-Prone Building Financial Assistance Scheme had since its inception in September last year, and how much has been appropriated for the scheme?
The University of Canterbury’s RECOVER project (Reef Ecology and Coastal Values, Earthquake Recovery) is a research programme funded by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE), and supported by the Ministry of Primary Industries (MPI). It has been evaluating recovery from the 7.8 Mw Kaikōura earthquake in the coastal environment between Oaro in the south and Marfells Beach in the north. The project has documented a wide range of biological and physical impacts in the coastal environment over the past four years. These include the widespread mortality of habitat-forming species that support characteristic ecosystems and natural resources on the coast (Alestra et al. 2021; Schiel et al. 2019; Tait et al. 2021). Due to the popularity of the coast for recreational use, interactions between people and the recovering environment are an important influence on recovery processes. These interactions may include threats to the natural environment but also the potential for positive interventions that could help to restore natural ecosystems and resources – including those that have been degraded in the past. Physical effects of uplift at the coastline include the seaward movement of shorelines and creation of new land above the reach of the tide, leading to a widening of beaches (Orchard et al. 2020; Orchard et al. in press). This has also provided a greater opportunity for off-road vehicle access to sections of the coast previously protected by headlands that were impassable at high tide (Marlborough District Council 2019; Orchard 2020). MDC management responses have included the development of a proposed bylaw to reduce the impacts of motor vehicle use in the area (Marlborough District Council 2021). Changes in the position of the sea-level on the landscape also affect the location of characteristic ecosystems such as sand dunes and storm beaches as they recover to a new norm. Notable changes include the establishment of new dunes closer to the sea which could potentially lead to the degradation of old dune systems that may experience reduced sand supply as a result. Wildlife habitat has also been affected by these uplift and re-assembly effects although the specific impacts remain largely unknown. This report contributes to a collaborative project between the Marlborough District Council (MDC) and University of Canterbury (UC) which aims to help protect and promote the recovery of native dune systems on the Marlborough coast. It is centred around the mapping of dune vegetation and identification of dune protection zones for old-growth seed sources of the native sand-binders spinifex (Spinifex sericeus) and pīngao (Ficinia spiralis). Both are key habitat-formers associated with nationally threatened dune ecosystems (Holdaway et al. 2012), and pīngao is an important weaving resource and Ngāi Tahu taonga species. The primary goal is to protect existing seed sources that are vital for natural regeneration following major disturbances such as the earthquake event. Several additional protection zones are also identified for areas where new dunes are successfully regenerating, including areas being actively restored in the Beach Aid project that is assisting new native dunes to become established where there is available space.
