The Brook Sanctuary's Defence Fund
Support the Sanctuary’s legal defence and secure the pest-free future of the Brook Sanctuary.
Nelson / Tasman
The-Brook-Valley-Community-Group has launched legal action against the Ministry for the Environment and the Brook Waimararma Sanctuary Trust, putting the success of our pest removal operation in jeopardy.
This last minute legal action is a costly distraction and a risk to our success. We have prepared for a carefully managed pest removal operation, engaging the foremost expertise in the country. We have worked with DOC to remove weka from inside the fence for safety, and an independent fence inspector has signed off the fence as pest-proof…. We are ready to go!
Thanks to our amazing volunteers and staff, our funders who have helped us raise $5m to date, our 1700 fencepost sponsors, the incredibly supportive wider Nelson community and our global sanctuary family, we really are so close to bringing exciting wildlife back to Nelson!
We are almost there!
Once the pest removal operation is completed, the Sanctuary will be the largest pest-free site on the South Island and the second largest in New Zealand. You will begin to see more - and rarer - native birds, within the sanctuary and in your back gardens, filling Nelson with birdsong.
For this to happen, total pest removal is essential. A delay to the operation puts the project at risk.
The Brook Waimarama Sanctuary Trust's involvement (page creator)
As a grassroots community organisation, legally defending our plans will be a major unbudgeted financial burden. We are seeking financial support from you to help fund our legal defence. Once this legal action has been put to bed, we can continue to focus on protecting and restoring wildlife. We will not lose sight of our colorful and exciting vision for this community.
About us
Returning nature to the Nelson region...
The Brook Sanctuary is a beautiful valley clad in mature native bush, on Nelson’s doorstep. Our vision is to restore the upper Brook Valley by returning rare species that have vanished from the area due to predation by introduced pests, and to enable native species already present to thrive.
It will soon be a place where native plants and animals thrive, without threat from introduced pests; alive with birdsong, where rare species roam freely; where visitors can see stunning native birds close to home. We’re working hard to make this vision a reality…
Use of funds
The funds will be used to support our legal defence. We are so close to achieving a pest-free sanctuary, protecting native wildlife for future generations to come…
Other page links
Latest update
Stay Request Rejected! One Drop Down - Two to Go 8 September 2017
Last Thursday the Court of Appeal rejected the request from the ‘Brook Valley Community Group’ for a stay to prevent the Trust from carrying out our long-planned pest removal operation centred on the aerial application of brodifacoum. This marks the third judgement from the courts rejecting the group’s legal challenge.
Following this decision we assessed the weather forecasts and logistical readiness for undertaking the first of the three planned aerial operations. A window of suitable weather and availability of all required personnel and equipment was identified for this past weekend, and we made the call to proceed with the first day of the operation on Saturday.
Although the day’s operation started with a delay due to vandalism, once the helicopters arrived it was carried out without accident or incident. All precautions were taken and our professional team was responsible for a successful achievement of the day’s objective, a complete application of brodifacoum-laced bait pellets to the 691 ha area within the sanctuary’s pest-proof fence by air, with a hand-baited perimeter inside the fence.
We still face potential further legal challenges by the ‘Brook Valley Community Group’ including the appeal they have lodged in the Court of Appeal to the comprehensive decision from the High Court responding to their complaint against the Trust, Nelson City Council and the Minister for the Environment.
Please continue to help spread the word about our legal defence fund to support our response to these legal challenges: https://givealittle.co.nz/cause/defencefund
For the most up to date information on the project, please follow us on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/thebrooksanctuary/
Thank you so much to all our donors for supporting us to get to this point!
Latest donations
Who's involved?
Page Q&A
Ask a question hereAny concerns?
Report this pageThank the donor
Your message will be displayed on the page and emailed to the donor.
Your new message will also be emailed to the donor.
Saving a blank entry will delete the current comment.