In 2011, Red Alert is doing a few new things. One of them is to introduce you to some confirmed Labour candidates who will do the occasional guest post.
Today’s guest poster is Christine Rose, the candidate for Rodney.
Kokako are one of New Zealand’s most beautiful songbirds. They sing in ‘gently paced, wistful tunes’, with an ‘organ-like song’ that can carry for kilometres. They are distinguished by their dusky grey plumage, their bright blue fleshy wattles and a little black face mask. They skip through the forest more than they fly, and come from an ancient lineage. But kokako have been pushed to the brink of extinction by habitat loss and predation.
Kokako were once widespread, found in the North and South Islands. But they are particularly vulnerable because of their poor flying ability, unable to flee from forest destruction to new habitats, and with females on the nest most prone to predation. One study found only about one chick in 10 nests survives.
In the 1980s there were only about 350 pairs of blue wattled, North Island, kokako left. Through good pest control and protection of remaining birds, (by volunteers and DoC), the population is now about 750 pairs and the aim of the National Kokako Recovery project is to have 1000 pairs in dispersed locations, by 2020. In Auckland, a small population of mainly male kokako remained in the Hunua Ranges, but they were totally extinct in the Waitakeres.
Over the last few years passionate and hardworking Forest & Bird conservationists have worked with the old Auckland Regional Council and iwi to restore the biodiversity of the Waitakere Ranges to its former glory. The Waitakere rainforest on the edge of the country’s biggest city covers over 17,000 hectares. More than 2000 hectares is now home to ‘Ark in the Park’ where species are being revived.
Since 2009 24 kokako have been translocated from different parts of the country, returning their melodious song to the forest where once they roamed. Last year at least three kokako chicks were fledged. This is a testament to the difference that committed individuals can make to a most worthy a cause – saving a species.
At our recent celebration to mark Ark in the Park’s successful efforts to save this species, the question was repeatedly asked why we’re seeing cuts to Department of Conservation funding when we have species like this on the brink. There certainly are amazing DoC workers who devote their lives to kokako and conservation. However, recent retrenchments in conservation budgets show the current government’s priorities lie elsewhere.
That’s another reason why this election is so important. A huge number of New Zealand’s endemic species are on the global critically endangered list. This is not the right time to cut conservation budgets. Our species, habitats, forest fragments, are the store of ecological capital, of hope for the future. Species, and our reputation, depend on our environment. Cuts to conservation budgets can only endanger these further, despite the amazing work of conservationists on the ground. Extinction is forever.
The South Island kokako, with its orange wattles is now most certainly extinct, and known as ‘the grey ghost’. How New Zealanders vote at this election, may determine whether our other special species like the North Island kokako, also join the ranks of forest ghosts.
Labour has a great track record working with the environmental sector on species and habitat recovery. That’s why, as a lifelong conservationist, I’m standing for Labour.
Christine Rose served the Rodney area as an elected representative for 15 years between 1995 and 2010. She was Deputy Mayor of the Rodney District Council, and Deputy Chair of the Auckland Regional Council. She chaired various committees including the ARC’s Transport Committee and the Regional Land Transport Committee which led the development of the Regional Transport Strategy.
Hello. What are your views on WARO? What is your policy on recreational hunting in NZ? What is yours and Labour’s policy on DOC giving licenses to fly over DOC land to ‘hunt’ (if you can call it that) our wild animals to the detriment of recreational hunters and trampers? How do you plan to monitor and regulate this industry? Thanks.
The poor kokako
I’m sure Policy Parrot could sympathise 
!
Good luck in November Christine. (whoever wrote the footnote however might like to check his/her comment – 15 years between 2005 and 2010???) With RWNJs reading such entries they will be sure to try to make something of that…)
Whats your position on 1080?
Christine is a very clever lady. It is nice to hear about your new candidates. What number is she on the List?
43.
That’s her list ranking btw not her age.
Anyone find it ironic that she lost to a former ACT MP?
You mean a former Rodney mayor, in fact the last one might have more to do with it.
Ex mayors seem to have done well in Auckland Council except you know who is trying to be an ACT MP
- crank up the voltage Igor
The race for destruction of our environment is called growth.
We live on a finite planet. Exploiting non renewable resources results in change and loss of what we had often with compounding contiguous destruction which accumulates.
Key and Brownlee work for transnational mining and will exploit anything for a buck, as well as changing laws and regulation to help speed up the destruction.
NZders need to look ahead and change the way business is done.
It is our country. Lets not be afraid of halting the degradation of the natural world around us.
The sentiments expressed in the post above mean little unless growth is dirty word.
Christine may bring an energy that influences turning around of the destruction and loss. It will be a battle and she will need support and not left to struggle alone.
There are other sounder sustainable economic models than the business as usual which does not have a future long term and will take away our children’s and grand children’s chances of a world as we know it.
Extinction of species is an indicator of what we are doing. Running the race to consume all that is precious mainly for the wealth of a few.
Our atmosphere, oceans, wild food sources and forests are all in deep trouble but the growth merchants still offer a false el dorado of trickle down economy.
Ponzi politics for the blind, greedy and easily led.
The ragbag bankers are a real problem.
A major shift is needed.
A somewhat amusing choice of topic for a guest post given Clare Curran’s recent tantrum about the Greens “whiteanting” Labour
Hey, there’s a difference between caring for the environment and being concerned about a party’s actions!
Christine has too many brains to be a Labour MP.
I would hesitate to include the position of Deputy Mayor for Rodney District Council on my cv. What a bureaucratically corrupt organization that was. It is because of the extreme distinction in some of our local councils that we now have a supercity! The paradox is that we have some of the same old tired faces in even larger roles.
Hi folks, thanks for your comments. The bio should correctly read that I was an elected representative for the 15 years 1995-2010. Also number 42 on the list.
Penny Webster who beat me in the local body election was an ex-Act MP before being Mayor, and in my view won due to the cronyistic promises of Steven Joyce to build the Holiday Highway (funded by asset sales says John Key!!), whereas I opposed it for its all round unsustainability.
Also to add, I certainly struggled against the bureaucratic corruption in my time in RDC.
All the same, I am motivated by my love of nature and wilderness, and our magnificent biodiversity. I’m proud of Labour’s track record in preserving additional land for National parks, marine protection, sustainable energy. I am sincerely worried about the future of our country under another National Government. Party Vote Labour!
“Christine has too many brains to be a Labour MP”
With a comment like that, were lack of brains a requirement, you could be shoe-in.
A highly educated, highly motivated activist politician with 15 years experience.
42 on the list behind such intellectual and political titans as Clare Curran, Raymond Huo and Kris Faafoi.
Labour fail.
You obviously don’t live north of Orewa. If you did you wouldn’t denigrate the proposed Puhoi – Wellsford SH1 project by calling it a ‘holiday highway’. This says more about you than it does about the worth of the project.
Such dismissive comments regarding a project of such significance are contemptible. Perhaps you might deign to elaborate on how this upgrade is unsustainable, and what your cost benefit analysis shows.
In the meantime I see you have fallen victim to the normal sophistries – Penny Webster(who I don’t particularly rate either) only won because she bribed the constituency with promises of a super-duper highway! What BS!
Tracey, if she makes the cut she will certainly outshine her caucus colleagues in the intelligence department.
Pete, Indeed, the cost benefit for the SH 1 (motorway) duplication,shows it’s not a use of money that would otherwise be justified. It was on no prior project list, will need asset sales to fund it (according to John Key), can not continue beyond Warkworth in any feasible fashion due to topography and geological constraints, will not address Warkworth’s access issues, or save lives in the near future. In contrast the worst accident blackspot is at Whangaripo Valley Road, which won’t be touched by this project at least until 2030 if ever, and has a B:C of 5 to 1. I don’t have to live North of Orewa to know safety & congestion improvements are needed on SH 1, and to know that this is a ridiculously expensive approach to solving those issues.
Having been party to that local election when Penny Webster won, I also can safely say what a big part the promises for this motorway made in the outcome. Cronyistic, yes I stand by that. In fact I had a quarry and trucking operator, who was also a northland local body politician at the time, abuse me for fear his interests in the project would be jeapardised. His words were “I’ve got more at stake in this project than you Christine”.