The National Policy Statement for Indigenous Biodiversity exposure draft was released by James Shaw wearing his associate minister for the environment hat – but it might as well have been his climate change beret.

“We all want Aotearoa New Zealand to be a place where ecosystems are healthy and resilient. Right now many of our unique native plants, reptiles, birds and animals are threatened with or at-risk of extinction. Addressing that decline is a priority for this Government,” Shaw said.

Shaw said the policy statement would provide a national standard for looking after native flora and fauna on private land for the first time.

“The National Policy Statement for Indigenous Biodiversity will be crucial in clarifying responsibilities and ensuring we are all working together to better protect our native habitats and ecosystems.

The draft document says local authorities must promote the resilience of indigenous biodiversity to climate change, including at least by:

 (a) providing for the maintenance of ecological integrity through natural adjustments of habitats and ecosystems; and

(b) considering the effects of climate change when making decisions on: (i) restoration proposals; and (ii) managing and reducing new and existing biosecurity risks; and (c) maintaining and promoting the enhancement of the connectivity between ecosystems, and between existing and potential habitats, to enable migrations so that species can continue to find viable niches as the climate changes.

“We know many councils are already doing their bit to protect and restore our indigenous biodiversity, but we want to make sure all councils are taking a consistent approach and meeting their obligations,” Shaw said.

“We are now entering into a targeted consultation to ensure the policy can work in practice before coming into effect later in the year. Implementation will then be phased in over 10 years, backed by several support measures, including incentives,” he said.

“Those incentives include the launch of a biodiversity innovation fund, the establishment of a regional biodiversity coordinator to better support communities, and the development of a digital platform to connect people with key resources.

“Additional funding has been secured to support councils and iwi-Māori to identify and protect Significant Natural Areas, to support landowners to enhance biodiversity on their land, and to explore additional ways to support positive biodiversity outcomes,” Shaw said.

Consultation on the document closes on Thursday 21 July.