Canterbury’s braided rivers, and the rare ecosystems they host, are a natural wonder of NZ -- and the entire world. But illegal land grabs, enabled by the Department of Conservation, are threatening the habitats at the margins of the rivers. 

Environment Canterbury just released research showing that some 12,000 hectares of riverbed land have been converted to farmland between 1990 and 2012. And as much as one-quarter of that was public reserve land illegally appropriated by private developers. 

So why isn’t the Department of Conservation doing anything about it? Too often, the DOC has chosen to settle with illegal developers, letting them keep farming on stolen land. But with our unique riverbeds and the threatened species they host at risk, we need to make sure the DOC does its job and protects our rivers from being whittled away. 

New Zealand’s braided rivers are internationally rare -- hosting a rich tapestry of low-growing plants that are home to rare lizards, bugs, and birds like the black-billed gull. But over the past several decades, agricultural encroachment -- AKA land grabs -- has put pressure on the river ecosystems and the animals that call it home. 

It’s irresponsible for the DOC to bow down to private developers that are threatening some of New Zealand’s most important ecosystems. While environmental advocates like Environment Canterbury and Forest & Bird are up in arms over what they call the “massive transformation of riverbed margins,” our regulators seem content to sit by and let profit-driven developers have their way with public land. 

It’s up to us to call on the DOC to do its job and protect public lands surrounding the Canterbury rivers. We need to come together to make sure New Zealand’s braided rivers are preserved -- before it’s too late.