Management plan approved for conservation park

19 December 2008

The Christchurch City Council has approved a management plan for the Isaac Conservation Park.

The conservation park covers about 1200 hectares of land t  between Christchurch International Airport and the Waimakariri River and is owned by the Isaac Wildlife Trust.

The Council recently provided for mineral extraction activities within the Park as part of a variation to the City Plan. Included in the variation was a requirement for a management plan, the purpose being to manage the range of competing uses within the park such as quarrying, recreation, conservation and public access.

The Isaac Wildlife Trust  is the beneficiary of the operating profit from quarrying on the land and needed to secure income to further develop the Park through a plan variation to allow continued quarrying.

The Isaac Wildlife Trust was established in 1977 by the late Sir Neil and Diana,  Lady Isaac. The purpose of the Trust was to create an idyllic and safe environment for New Zealand wildlife. The Trust works to save endangered species, fund scholarships, and ensures that the Peacock Springs Wildlife Park is retained and further developed for the people of Christchurch.

Peacock Springs, named after the peacocks that roam freely across the park, has grown from 20 hectares with just a handful of animals, to its current size and is home to a number of species including; the tuatara, the black stilt, the Campbell Island teal, the orange fronted Kaikariki, the NZ shore plover, brown teal ,blue duck and the kiwi.

At today’s Council meeting Lady Isaac spoke of her passion for conservation and heritage, having supported the restoration of the (then) Theatre Royal (now Isaac Theatre Royal) and saved a number of significant buildings from demolition  She was  thanked by Mayor Bob Parker for her “extraordinary generosity to the city”.

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