An unusual invertebrate captured the imagination of a roading engineer during a Dunedin highway project. Rebecca Fox talks to Simon Underwood, who has received a special recognition award about juggling a highway development with protecting an important species.
Q: What is it about the peripatus worm project that got you interested and continues to interest you?
A: My primary passion here is for the safe and ease of use of our highway network, although it is through the planned highway works in Caversham Valley I've gained an opportunity to learn of the unusual invertebrate - peripatus.
Before the highway works, there was little public knowledge of peripatus and while they are still hardly a household name, there is now greater awareness that there is something a little unique about this ecology amongst parties including the Dunedin City Council (including those councillors on the hearings panel for the highway works), the Department of Conservation, the NZ Transport Agency, and Otago Daily Times' readers of course (there having been two prominent articles on peripatus this year).
Q: What do you get out of your work in conservation, and how do you fit it in?
A: My role, and I guess the reason for the nomination, is that as the NZ Transport Agency's manager, I represent those people who've pooled together to develop the highway works in a manner which is in keeping with this unique ecology - people like Dave Randle (valley resident), Roger MacGibbon (Opus ecologist), and the guys at Downer who have volunteered their own time, in developing habitat for peripatus.
Q: How is the project/s you are involved in benefiting conservation?
A: This project provided a real opportunity to show it doesn't need to be one (the highway), or the other (the environment). My own input has been to focus our energies on what we could do, and in a manner which enabled both interests.
The highway works will cut across the frontages of two reserve areas, as well as a large parcel of privately owned land, which has most truly maintained its original ecological character (and which is why peripatus are more prevalent to that location).
To compensate, an adjoining parcel of land was purchased which is moderately vegetated, and this will be further enhanced for the wellbeing of peripatus.
Ongoing "protection" of this land is also now locked in through conditions developed in the consenting process for the highway works. Peripatus habitats within the "footprint" of the highway works will be uplifted to this property, as well as monitoring stations established.
And through this, new learnings of peripatus will be established and shared.
Q:What challenges do you face and how have you overcome them?
A: The challenge was in finding the commonalities amongst a range of parties involved (and thanking also staff at the Dunedin City Council and Department of Conservation) and making sure the right steps were taken to support both the highway and the Caversham valley ecology.
Plus the "financial books" had to balance, with land now owned but not actually needed for the highway works, being used in exchange of land that is needed. It also enables a reduction in construction costs, by allowing simpler property access requirements.
Q: What would you like to do in the future, regarding conservation?
A: As for the future, I also look to the past, where the Tumai highway realignment (north of Waikouaiti) revealed a substantial discovery of moa, and with university staff we took steps to ensure these were safely recovered.
So I look forward in Caversham Valley to completing the peripatus work, and further ahead to continue developing our highways in a manner which is in keeping with the natural environments within which we function.
