SNA's

We have been thoroughly researching what is called an SNA in our Social Studies classes. The Far North District Council has debating on whether to carry out this new proposition and make it apply to the Far North or not. SNA stands for Significant Natural Areas, which we have a lot of here in the Far North. What the Council is trying to do is protect all of the Significant Natural Areas that are found around the Far North. Apparently, the council will use the SNA land to earn money, while the SNA owners won't get a single cent. 

My opinion:

Many people have different opinions of this as land owners. Recently people have been organising marches and meetings about this matter that compliment their feelings about SNA's. My opinion: the idea and principal is a great one; it will protect a lot of the native bush that covers that land around the Far North. But I also think that they are taking things a bit too far; they are taking people's land without their consent leaving them with a little bit of their land or nothing at all. Sometimes I wonder if everything that people want these days is money and power. The whole SNA scenario seems like something that could cover the fact that the FNDC really wants the money that they get from uncooperative land owners. I could be wrong; they might just want to protect our unique landscape and the biodiversity that lives on it, but are over doing it a little bit. I reckon that what they are doing is a little extreme, as they are taking people's land that is rightfully theirs. Once again their motive is a great one, but they are agitating people who have to pay money for what they already own; something that is rightfully theirs and can't be taken away from them.

Some of the specific rules:

The rules of having a SNA on your land is that when you want to clear a piece of your land you have to set up a resource consent for you to be able to construct anything. You are not allowed to plant shelterbelts, forestry plantations, making woodlots and the plating of exotic vegetation. The FNDC would however allow you to plant things that are suitable for the specific SNA. If an SNA owner were to carry out their plans for erecting a structure they would be fined by the FNDC and what they had already built would be taken down and the cut down vegetation would be replanted. 

What is the FNDC trying to develop?

Since we live in a very unique landscape, with unique species, plants and landscapes, the FNDC are responsible for identifying and protecting these special things with a new district plan which they have named SNA. Although we already have rules regulating the fact that you have to look after these areas, SNA owners now have to identify these areas and take more care of them within the district. Some pieces of land that are available for buying have particular sections on them that are what is called covenanted. This means that anything that is on that land cannot be cut down or destroyed, but you are allowed to cut paths and tracks which do not harm any of the vegetation.