Kotahitanga mō te Taiao Alliance and Strategy
Marlborough District Council is a founding member of the Kotahitanga mō te Taiao Alliance (KMTT), a collaboration of iwi, Councils and Government agencies working to restore and enhance nature across Te Tauihu (Top of the South Island). The alliance now includes Kawatiri/Buller and spans across 3.4 million hectares of land and sea to champion a landscape-scale approach to caring for the natural environment.
KMTT developed an initial strategy in 2019 with a vision that “people live, care for, and benefit from the environment in ways that bolster natural ecology together with the communities that live within them.” In 2025, KMTT partners co-developed a Strategy Implementation Pathway Plan (SIPP), which is a framework that defines the path partners will take to achieve this vision.
In practical terms, the SIPP focuses on four areas where collaboration can make the greatest difference. These are helping native species to thrive, restoring lowlands and connecting ecosystems, restoring marine ecosystems, and Te Kāhui Tangaroa (iwi-led projects). Te Kāhui Tangaroa enables a leadership approach to implement restoration projects for KMTT iwi partners.
As a committed member of KMTT, Council actively looks for opportunities to align these priorities with statutory plans and obligations, such as the Marlborough Environmental Plan and Regional Pest Management Plan. Council’s biggest undertaking aligned with KMTT has been Te Hoiere Project. This is a landscape-scale restoration effort to improve freshwater and the biodiversity that depends on it in Te Hoiere/Pelorus catchment.
Council has also aligned with KMTT to help biodiversity thrive with efforts to control and eradicate introduced species. From wilding conifers to the Top of the South Marine Biosecurity Partnership, Council takes an active role from planning through to field work on the ground.
Learn more about KMTT’s Strategy Implementation Pathway Plan – May 2025
