Advocate: when the DCC appeals to other agencies such as central government and the Otago Regional Council to promote and achieve environmental wellbeing outcomes.
Anthropogenic: caused or influenced by humans.
Areas of special conservation value: recognised areas of indigenous vegetation and fauna on public or private land protected by the District Plan.
Biodiversity: the variety of plant and animal life in a particular habitat.
Biomass: biological material derived from living or recently living organisms. In the context of biomass for energy it is often used to mean plant-based material (such as woodchip), but biomass can equally apply to both animal- and vegetable-derived material.
Biophilia hypothesis: the theory of the instinctive bond between human beings and other living systems.
Carbon emissions: carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide in the atmosphere, produced by vehicles and industrial processes.
Ecosystem: a biological community of interacting organisms and their physical environment.
Ecosystem services: the benefits provided by ecosystems that make human life possible (e.g. clean air, soil and water).
Environment: ecosystems and their constituent parts, including people and communities; all natural and physical resources; amenity values; and the social, economic, aesthetic and cultural conditions which affect or are affected by the factors listed (this definition is based on the Resource Management Act 1991).
Funder: when the Council provides funding to another organisation or community group towards providing a service or facility (e.g. Biodiversity Fund).
Greenhouse gas: any gas that absorbs infrared radiation in the atmosphere, including carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, ozone, chlorofluorocarbons, hydrochlorofluorocarbons, hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons and sulfur hexafluoride (www3.epa.gov).
He ao tūroa, he ao hauora: a natural world, a healthy world.
Kaitiaki: guardian.
Kaitiakitaka: the exercise of customary custodianship in a manner that incorporates spiritual matters by takata whenua who hold manawhenua status for a particular area or resource. The concept of kaitiakitaka evolved as Manawhenua responded to their impact on the natural environment.
Landscape-scale conservation: a holistic approach to conservation that, in addition to biodiversity, considers local economies and agriculture, eco-tourism, geodiversity and the health and social benefits of the environment.
Mahika kai: the customary gathering of food or natural materials, and the places where those resources are gathered.
Mātauraka Māori: Māori knowledge or wisdom.
Manawhenua: those who exercise customary authority or rakatirataka (chieftainship or decision-making rights).
Mō tātou, ā, mō kā uri, ā muri ake nei: for us and for our children after us.
Promoter/Facilitator: when the DCC undertakes promotional activity and educational programmes, or brings together other organisations or community groups to work towards positive environmental outcomes (e.g. Enviroschools and Keep Dunedin Beautiful).
Provider: when the DCC provides a service, facility or infrastructure (e.g. Green Island landfill).
Queen Elizabeth II (QEII) covenant: a legally binding and permanent protection agreement which is registered on the title of land to protect its special natural and cultural features.
Regulator/Planner: when the DCC enforces government legislation and develops its own bylaws and plans (e.g. District Plan).
Resilient: able to withstand or recover quickly from unexpected or difficult conditions.
Supply chain: a system of organisations, people, activities, information and resources involved in moving goods or services from suppliers to consumers.
Takata whenua: the iwi (tribe) or hapū (sub-tribe) that holds manawhenua in a particular area.
Taoka: a treasure, a thing of great value.
Te Tiriti o Waitangi: the Treaty of Waitangi.
Tiakitaka: the act of guarding or keeping.
Tikaka: customary values and practices.
Wāhi taoka: resources, places and sites treasured by Manawhenua.
Wāhi tapu: places sacred to takata whenua.
Wāhi tūpuna: the landscapes that embody the ancestral, spiritual and religious traditions of all the generations before European settlement.