Government funds more than 100 conservation jobs in top of the south

Wednesday, 6 October 2021

Conservation Minister Kiri Allan has announced more than 100 “jobs for nature” across three top of the south projects.

Biodiversity can be the “poor younger cousin” of climate change, says Conservation Minister Kiri Allan as she announced $14 million to create more than 100 “jobs for nature” in the top of the south.

Allan announced the funding on Wednesday during a visit to the Pelorus area; “one of the country’s most scenic spots”.

“We want to keep it that way,” she said, as she revealed half of the $14m was going towards the Te Hoiere/Pelorus Catchment Restoration Project.

The $7.5m would create close to 80 nature-based jobs over four years.

Conservation Minister Kiri Allan was in Marlborough on Wednesday to reveal a $14m handout for three projects involving landowners, iwi, council, government agencies and businesses.

The clear waters of Te Hoiere/Pelorus River are to be protected with a conservation grant announced on Wednesday.

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The project, which covers more than 10,700 hectares of the Te Hoiere and Kaituna River and Cullen Creek catchments, had been going for about two years already, but the investment would mean the project crew could “push on with the next phase”.

That would include accelerating river restoration work, planting, weed control, animal pest control and habitat enhancement for native species such as pekapeka/bats, mioweka/banded rail and shortjaw kōkopu.

A nursery would also be established on Ngāti Kuia land to “propagate and grow eco-sourced natives to be planted as part of the project”, Allan said.

Picton Kindergarten kids help set traps to eradicate pests that destroy birdlife. Picton Dawn Chorus, chairman James Wilson leads the attack.

Ngāti Kuia chairman Waihaere Mason said he had asked the minister to come back in five years.

“By then we would like to see nature encircling all that area, the wetland restored, [and] a functioning nursery supplying plants for the whole region,” Mason said.

The Government’s Jobs for Nature programme was a multi-agency initiative with the purpose of creating nature-based employment in response to the economic impact of Covid-19.

Allan announced funding for two other projects on Wednesday; $6m for a widespread weed management programme covering 35,000 hectares of the northern South Island and $700,000 for a community group trapping predators.

The weed project was led by the global non-profit organisation The Nature Conservancy, in conjunction with the Department of Conservation and the Tasman, Nelson City, Buller, and Marlborough councils.

The funding would create 29 jobs, and the project would explore the possibility of expanding the protection of some sites through QEII covenanting.

The Nature Conservancy associate director of conservation Erik van Eyndhoven said the funding was a massive boost for them, with most of the money going towards “boots on the ground”.

The Picton Dawn Chorus/Te Atiawa o Te Waka-a-Maui community group would receive $700,000 to expand their predator-trapping efforts from 415 hectares to 4815ha.

“In just five years this group has encouraged more than 600 people to trap predators in their backyards and has a team of 165 volunteers working in surrounding bush areas,” Allan said.

“The Jobs for Nature funding will mean eight people can be employed across three years to help with the regeneration of native birdlife, lizards, insects and forests.

“The top of the South Island has a rich and diverse landscape. These projects scale up the efforts of the wider community to retain that biodiversity and in doing so we all get to benefit.”