50,000ha in spared bush

Farmers are increasingly dedicating native bush and wetlands on their land to the future by protecting it through the Queen Elizabeth II National Trust.

The trust's field representative for the Coromandel-Bay of Plenty region, Stephen Parr, said 50,000ha throughout New Zealand had been covenanted since the organisation was formed in 1977.

"About one in 50 farms has an average area of 38ha covenanted to the national trust."

Mr Parr said people were becoming more conscious of the value of bush remnants all the time.



Preservation of bush was important for the downstream benefits such as reduced farm run-off and improved water quality in streams and harbours. Native birds thrived in a natural habitat and rare plants could also be preserved.

Bush was also a natural protection from noisy environments such as highways and development areas.

"When someone decides to covenant land through the national trust in this area I go along and do a botanical assessment to send a report to Wellington," Mr Parr said.

The independent board of the trust uses the report to decide on whether to place the land under its protection.

- NZPA