The West Coast’s natural environment is made up of physical and biological elements including soil, water, air, plants and animals and the interaction between them. It is self-sustaining and has intrinsic value and unique local characteristics that require protection. The natural environment is a living network of landforms and catchments, wetlands, waterways, terrestrial ecosystems, coastal foreshores and marine waters.
The network is built on a canvas of landforms such as mountains, valleys, plains and the coastline. These divide the landscape into catchments, which direct rainfall runoff from high areas to the sea. Landforms and catchments have strongly influenced the pattern of ecosystems and human settlements across the West Coast.
Waterways and wetlands are physical features within catchments that convey or hold water, typically in lower areas of the landscape such as valleys and plains. They function as water reservoirs and are often ecological hotspots, encompassing diverse habitats and wildlife. They include fringing riparian areas that are dependent on the water they provide and support their ecological health.
Terrestrial ecosystems are vegetated or partly vegetated habitats outside of waterways and wetlands, including their resident plant and animal populations. They are sustained by rainfall and the water and nutrients retained in their soils. They include large, vegetated core habitat areas, as well as smaller connecting habitat areas.
The coastline buffers the land and sea environments from one another and supports its own unique habitats – coastal foreshores and their intertidal areas, beaches, dunes and rocky headlands, and near-shore marine waters and ecosystems.
The natural environment and its processes provide essential services for our community. Wetlands filter pollutants from our water. Trees and plants absorb carbon and provide us with clean air. Bacteria and fungi break down organic material and fertilise the soils we need to grow food.
Our natural environment and landscapes are central to our lifestyle, providing appealing vistas and abundant opportunities for recreation on land or in the water. They also support our tourism, retail and agricultural livelihoods, contributing significantly to the local economy.
A healthy environment is vital to our everyday lives and contributes to our quality of life. Our natural environment is our bountiful heritage, our inspiring home and our responsibility to preserve for the future.
Conservation
Maintaining a healthy natural environment – the West Coast’s “natural advantage” – is critical to support our economy and community. Our strategic directions for the natural environment are to preserve and enhance the green and blue and associated ecological values, while benefiting sustainably from the products and services it provides. These strategic directions are progressed under four themes:
Landscape and Character – preserving and promoting natural environments, the vistas and scenic corridors which are important to the region’s character and identity.
- Biodiversity – preserving and enhancing native plants and animals and their habitats to remain healthy, resilient and valued by all the community.
- Waterways and Wetlands – preserving and enhancing aquatic habitats and wildlife across river catchments and facilitating sustainable recreational use.
- Coastal – preserving a healthy coastal environment, responding to coastal hazards.
Renewable Energy
Staying in-line with the New Zealand government’s energy strategy and transition towards a net zero carbon emissions by 2050 goal, we intend to contribute towards the strategic outcomes. Our focus areas will include:
- Micro-hydro, solar & wind power systems – energy generation technology efficiency development through on-site trials.
- Educational resources – facilitation of workshops and free downloadable current and relevant energy information.
- Advancing renewables – work towards a subsidy plan and program roll-out.
- Rainwater – research through partnership on rainwater energy technology.
Permaculture
Permaculture is an approach to land management and philosophy that adopts arrangements observed in flourishing natural ecosystems. It includes a set of design principles derived using whole systems thinking in congruence with Indigenous and traditional knowledge. We hope to utilise these principles in our food production, regenerative and environmental design as well our integrated water resources management. Permaculture involves acting locally while being conscious of larger global issues. Our energy and focus would be directed towards the following subjects:
- Children’s Green Education – self-sufficiency and sustainability education and practical nurturing through gardening, interactive environment education.
- Food Forest – an evolving and growing, food production system.
- Soil Health – creating a healthy soil microbiology, traditional and high tech carbon sequestration trials.
Advocacy
It is an integral part of our vision to work in with other West Coast ENFP’s to advocate for better environmental policy, support local groups on campaigns to protect our natural landscape and marine environments, and encourage action on climate change through education and community engagement.
Annual Roundtable with WCEFNP’s and Environment Minister – meeting followed by selection of local environmental issues submitted to the environment minister for assessment.
Submissions – to inquiries and responding to discussion papers.
We collectively are accountable and ethically responsible in ensuring our actions benefit the society and the environment. Earth is also home to many underprivileged children, youth, adults and elders. The Buller District with an ageing population, decline in population and limited employment opportunities are in dire need of a positive social reform strategy.
Mental health may be affected by individual or societal factors, including economic disadvantage, poor housing, lack of social support and the level of access to, and use of, health services. Addressing social disadvantage is a complex issue that requires a multi-faceted approach from all levels of government and the community.
Social capital is an important component of sustainable communities. It relates to how connected and involved communities are, how able they are to help themselves, and how much trust they have in governments and institutions. Healthy, engaged people and communities will be crucial for a prosperous and sustainable future for our region.
Sustainable communities require easy access to the necessary social infrastructure to meet health and community support needs, access to a full range of education, training and employment opportunities, to foster community participation and cultural expression, and support quality of life.
A socially cohesive community is also a resilient community. Building resilient communities is important because they are more likely to adapt in positive and healthy ways to changes or challenges in natural, economic or social circumstances. Division between people or groups in communities reduces the diversity and strength of networks, weakens social cohesion, and limits the ability to adapt proactively to change and unexpected events.
Rimu Foundation hopes to bring some light to those who are in need within the Buller region, followed by the rest of the West Coast. Outcomes are our priority, inclusive engagement programs for community members of all ages will be designed and delivered. We intend to connect people, knowledge and opportunities. Create self-sufficiency pathways and a community that is not dependant. Host knowledge events and experiences. Grow new leaders and create opportunities for enterprises to thrive. The immediate focal points and recovery measures will be coordinated through the following areas:
Education
Programs include ecology sustainability, youth capacity building, career pathway development, rehabilitative & diversionary program for former offenders and methamphetamine users, business acumen, tech upskilling.
Training
Industry specific training (tourism, art, horticulture, design, hospitality).
Employment
Through social enterprise partnership, incubator & accelerator programs and in-house job opportunities.
The West Coast economy has been traditionally reliant on the mining and dairy sectors. The abundance of nature and its resources in Buller district is a huge blessing to all of us. It is therefore our role to ensure the natural resources remain protected whist ensuring sustainable economic development.
We believe that economic visions and strategies for this region will need to be designed sustainably and strategically. The potential is huge, but the approach is about us working with nature and not against it, it our intention to ensure that we engage, educate and empower the community over the next two decades to build the foundations for an economically resilient community.
Rimu Foundation hopes to establish a social enterprise as our prime revenue generating arm to ensure the continued success and long term funding for our environmental and social programs. In addition, this outlook guarantees minimal reliance on government funding to realise our vision.
Ecotourism
KORU (Gallery of Arts & Ecology) sustainable economic development and flow on benefits to the community.
Art
KORU (Gallery of Arts & Ecology) local art capacity building.
Innovation
Biotech, science and tech partnerships and social enterprise development.