Southland MP Joseph Mooney is throwing his political weight behind the future of Te Anau’s much-loved Bird Sanctuary with its future hanging in the balance and public submissions on how it can be saved closing today (Monday, 4 Aug).

Almost 90 submissions suggesting a full range of ideas for the future of the park will now be considered after a “strong, positive and varied response”, mainly from the Te Anau-Fiordland and Northern Southland community, by yesterday’s submission closing time. (4 Aug)

Mooney’s pushing to the have the sanctuary “retained or even expanded on” as he says it’s grown to be a “much-loved community space, a valuable centre for conservation or New Zealand’s native birds and a well sought-after Te Anau visitor attraction”.

“I’ve been in contact with a range of individuals and groups who have an interest in this across the region,” he says.

DOC, site owners Southland Fish and Game, iwi Ōraka Aparima Rūnaka and Great South asked anyone interested to share their thoughts on what the future of this site could look like last month.

The public was given three weeks to come up with ideas and options, including ways to make the park financially viable with DOC opting out of managing the popular tourist attraction, located on Fish and Game land.

Te Anau's kōwhiowhio/blue ducks were rehomed to Christchurch last week by DOC. Photo: Chris Watson/ProFocus

However, DOC suddenly removed the park’s much-loved two kōwhiowhio/blue ducks last week, just days out from the submissions closing, and relocated them to Christchurch, saying that it was so they could 'continue to care for the site and the wellbeing of the birds and staff in a safe and sustainable way'.

Mooney says he’s also made enquiries with DOC following the news that these whio had been moved.

“I’ve been advised that due to staffing movements to other positions within the organisation, birds (apart from takahe) need to be moved to ensure the welfare of the birds is maintained at this stage,” he says.

“Ultimately the ongoing care for the birds is DOC’s responsibility, and I look forward to the feedback the consultation process provides and steps to be taken thereafter.”

Mooney says he’s keen to support discussions between the various stakeholders involved on the best way to ensure the birds continue to have a home at the sanctuary in Te Anau, while also working towards a sustainable long-term solution that will see the sanctuary thrive.

Conservation Minister Tama Potaka is currently overseas and a spokesperson says he is unavailable for comment on the matter.

Tourism and Hospitality Minister Louise Upston’s office say it’s an issue for DOC and she has nothing further to add.

So far DOC doesn’t seem to have been able to give any assurance that other birds, except the park’s two prized takahe breeding pairs, won’t be rehomed while the future of the park is decided.

There are now 14 birds at the park after the whio have been removed - four pāteke/brown teal, four Antipodes Island kākāriki and six South Island takahē, two of which are chicks.

Great South General Manager of Regional Strategy Bobbi Brown. Photo: Great South

Great South General Manager of Regional Strategy Bobbi Brown says all 87 submissions received were “positive and constructive”.

“People have been thinking about it and coming up with ways to retain the park keeping in character with what it is now to provide an experience,” she says.

She couldn’t be specific about the content until she’d summarised the submissions and sent that to iwi Ōraka Aparima Rūnaka and Fish and Game to assess.

“But there was definitely a range of possibilities communicated from enhancing what’s there now in different ways to expanding the bird species at the park.”

Each submission reflected the perspective of the submitter from parents saying they’d taken the kids there since they were little and wanted that to continue to tourism businesses saying it was “an important part of Te Anau’s tourism offering”.

“I was really impressed with how insightful the submissions were, right through into different funding ideas,” Brown says.

“There were lots of ideas that would work. We haven’t evaluated the financial options suggested, as that will need more work.”

Brown says the support is there from the community and people now seem “open to change”. “They’re thinking differently and are open to more options now,” she says.

She didn’t want to pre-empt what the Rūnaka will do but there were now some great ideas for them, along with Fish and Game, to consider.

“Nothing’s off the table. DOC have said that,” Brown says.

"DOC is open to ideas."

“I commend the public. Some really good ideas have come through to be considered.”

Brown said the next phase of the process is expected to be communicated in late August or early September.

Save the Sanctuary coordinator Ken Browne’s group includes about 15 community members from doctors and schoolteachers to hoteliers, tourism operators and movers and shakers in the Fiordland business community.

It includes a prominent person with extensive project funding expertise.

He says their detailed five-page submission proposed running the sanctuary for the first few years while they got a long-term plan and funding in place.

“It’s a beautiful park with fantastic potential and we would be happy to work with whoever it takes and form a trust together with Fish and Game, iwi and all the other stakeholders to move forward,” he says.

The group is currently putting together a steering committee.

“Our biggest concern is that there is open consultation,” he says.

“We have a narrow window to save this park.”

Sue Fea is a senior journalist with more than 40-years experience covering police, social and general news in the southern regions.