Source: New Zealand Governor General
Rau rangatira mā, e kui mā, e koro mā, e huihui nei, tēnei aku mihi māhana ki a koutou. Nau mai, haere mai ra ki Te Whare Kawana o Tamaki Makaurau.
Distinguished guests, warm greetings to you all, and welcome to Government House Auckland.
I specifically acknowledge: Chair of the Queen Elizabeth the Second National Trust Nga Kairauhi Papa, Bruce Wills; Chief Executive Officer, Dan Coup; and Covenanters, Shirley-Ann and Rick Mannering. Tēnā koutou katoa.
I feel very privileged to continue the vice-regal connection with the Queen Elizabeth the Second Trust Nga Kairauhu Papa.
In this 45th year of the Trust’s operations, we must salute the wisdom and foresight of farmers who set it up in the 1970s to protect forests and wetlands on their properties.
They valued their responsibilities as kaitiaki of treasured landscapes and fragile ecosystems. They wanted to ensure that their covenanted land would not be desecrated by future owners.
Whether we live in urban areas or in the country, New Zealanders feel replenished when they spend time in the bush – and there are equally compelling scientific and economic reasons to preserve and protect our indigenous forests.
Biodiversity may not receive the same attention as the climate crisis, but there is increasing awareness that our very existence is dependent on the wellbeing of the ecosystems and organisms that sustain life.
As Sir David Attenborough reminds us, we have a responsibility to leave for future generations a planet that is healthy and habitable by all species.
Here in Aotearoa, where two-thirds of our rare and ‘naturally uncommon’ ecosystems are threatened, and 4000 species are threatened or at risk of extinction, what can one individual possibly do to counter such sobering statistics?
The QEII story shows how the interventions of individuals can make an enormous difference.Over the last 45 years, their collective efforts have protected an area the size of Stewart Island – and the momentum is not slowing down. There is a steady stream of people calling on the services of the Trust, so that they too can go through the covenant process.
I appreciate there are opportunity costs for covenanters – in addition to the costs of protecting waterways, planting, restoring wetland, fencing, and controlling pests and weeds.
Aotearoa is fortunate to have such generous and committed people in our communities. We reap the precious dividends of their hard work to restore habitats for our flora and fauna, clean waterways and improve soil health.
It’s a sign of the times that Fieldays now has a Sustainability Hub. I made a point of visiting it last week and it was so gratifying to see initiatives building on the legacy of rural conservation and informed by expert knowledge and innovation.
Our indigenous environment is part of our whakapapa, our DNA. Our birds, forests, and rivers are our taonga.
My sincere thanks to you all for becoming involved in the QEII mission to preserve that taonga: as covenanters who put the physical and cultural wellbeing of Aotearoa above personal gain; as QEII staff who provide advice and support, and act as trustees to defend the covenanted land from would-be developers; and as citizens who choose to support the QEII mission to preserve and protect our precious environment. I wish you all the very best with your further expansion of your network in the years ahead.
Kia ora huihui tātou katoa.
