Happy International day for Biological Diversity!
The International Day for Biological Diversity is a chance to further discuss the challenges that we, as a Department and a country will face in protecting the special biodiversity of Aotearoa. The theme of this year is “Our Biodiversity, Our Food, Our Health” aiming to leverage knowledge and spread awareness of the dependency of our food, nutrition and health on keeping our ecosystems safe and healthy.
New Zealand, while recognised as a hot spot for biological diversity is not immune from the threats created by human activity. In the last 800 years, humans and introduced pests have caused the extinction of 32% of indigenous land and freshwater bird species, 3 of 7 frog species and one bat species, among others. Still today several of our special species are threatened with extinction including the kiwi and tuatara.
Days like this are important as they keep these topics at the forefront of our minds, give us an opportunity to talk and learn more about what we can do to help sustain our biological diversity.
Visit www.doc.govt.nz/nature/biodiversity for some resources to learn more about biodiversity in New Zealand and head to www.cbd.int/idb for more information on what you can set up to celebrate the International Day for Biodiversity.
Poll: Does the building consent process need to change?
We definitely need homes that are fit to live in but there are often frustrations when it comes to getting consent to modify your own home.
Do you think changes need made to the current process for building consent? Share your thoughts below.
Type 'Not For Print' if you wish your comments to be excluded from the Conversations column of your local paper.
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91.3% Yes
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8.2% No
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0.4% Other - I'll share below!
Say goodbye to tyre waste
About 40% of the 6.5 million tyres Kiwis use every year are recycled, repurposed, or used as tyre-derived fuel. But the rest end up in landfills, stockpiled or dumped.
The good news is now there’s an easy solution to all that tyre waste. It’s called Tyrewise and is New Zealand’s first national tyre recycling scheme.
Tyrewise ensures that tyres in Aotearoa New Zealand are recycled or repurposed properly, saving millions from going to the landfill.
Find out more about the scheme online.
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