Our baseline government funding has not increased since 2015, despite rising costs and a 28% increase in the number of new covenants over this time, with all requiring ongoing support.

We were lucky to secure some Jobs for Nature funding to allow us to increase our new covenanting work over the last few years, however this is now coming to an end with no replacement funding source on the horizon.

We’re hopeful that the changes we’re signalling might be able to be avoided by securing additional funding, but we’re acting now to let covenantors and our partners know what could happen, to allow them time to build possible changes into their own farm/business planning and budgets.

The situation has forced us to look at what we can responsibly deliver in the next financial year (1 July 2025 – 30 June 2026).

Continuing to support landowners of existing QEII covenants is our first priority, so we may have to pause or significantly reduce our new covenant work until additional funding can be secured.

It is important to note that we will continue to support existing covenants as per usual during this time.

We’re hopeful that any possible reduction in new covenanting work next year will only be temporary, and we are working hard to address this shortfall by advocating for more central government funding and through our fundraising programme.

We know there is a lot of demand out there for protection with QEII, so if you do have plans for any new covenants in the next few years, please let your regional representative know – it will help us plan for the future and make our case for increased funding.

Covenants that have already received approval from the QEII executive are being processed as normal. Talk to your regional rep if you’re unsure of the status of a covenant proposal.

If you have an active covenant enquiry in the system, this might be delayed until QEII’s funding situation can be rectified, however your local rep will keep you informed on this. If you have important timeframes that need to be considered for your covenant proposal, please advise your rep.

Possibly, however we’re still working through the details of how a possible reduction or pause in new covenanting would play out in a practical sense.

No, we are dedicated to supporting landowners with existing covenants. The cost of setting up new covenants is much greater than supporting existing ones. We have a responsibility set in legislation to protect covenanted areas forever, and we take that seriously.

If you believe in the work we do at QEII to help landowners protect what is special and unique on their land – including rare and threatened flora, fauna and their habitats – here are some ways you can take action and show your support:

• Donate
• Become a member of QEII National Trust
• Tell others who might be able to help – word of mouth advocacy can be powerful
• Share your thoughts with your local networks e.g. Federated Farmers
• Stay in touch and up to date with our e-newsletter or Open Space magazine

Find out more about how you can support us on our website.

You are welcome to get in touch with us at info@qeii.org.nz with any questions on this matter.