Conservation Minister Maggie Barry says almost $500,000 extra will be spent on regional projects that target the country’s worst weeds.

The Government has granted a Wellington community group nearly $35,000 to help it deal with predators, Conservation Minister Maggie Barry and Associate Environment Minister Scott Simpson announced today.

The grant, provided through the Community Environment Fund, is for the Mainland Island Restoration Operation (MIRO) to run an Educating Residents About Trapping project.

Conservation Minister Maggie Barry says a new breeding aviary for the world’s rarest wading bird, the black stilt, is about to be built in the Mackenzie Basin near Twizel.

“DOC’s captive breeding programme is a key component in the bird’s recovery and the department had been working intensively hatching and rearing chicks in aviaries before releasing them in to the wild.  A snow storm two years ago destroyed one aviary and seriously damaged another,” Ms Barry says.

Conservation Minister Maggie Barry has thanked the thousands of volunteers who’re part of the Predator Free 2050 movement and help DOC protect our threatened species.

“New Zealanders are among the most generous people in the world when it comes to volunteering and lending a helping hand. More conservation work is being done now than at any time in our history and volunteers are a significant part of conservation success stories,” Ms Barry says.

Conservation Minister Maggie Barry has welcomed two crucial appointments on the road to Predator Free 2050 and the implementation of the New Zealand Threatened Species Strategy.

“Experienced entrepreneur Ed Chignell is Predator Free 2050 Ltd’s new CEO. He has a proven track record as a whole-hearted leader with strong commercial and strategic nous, and the board is confident he has the commitment and the ability to develop the powerful strategic partnerships needed to make Predator Free 2050 a reality,” Ms Barry says.

Conservation Minister Maggie Barry says New Zealand has made clear our long-term commitment to protecting, conserving and sustainably using oceans and marine resources at the United Nations Ocean Conference in New York this week.

“Healthy and productive oceans are enormously important to New Zealand and I’m pleased to have had the opportunity to showcase to the world what we are doing in New Zealand and the Pacific to protect them for generations to come,” Ms Barry says.

A highly successful Hawke’s Bay stream restoration project has taken out the top prize at the 2017 Green Ribbon Awards, announced tonight by Environment Minister Dr Nick Smith and Associate Conservation Minister Nicky Wagner.

“My congratulations to the Whangawehi Catchment Management Group for winning the 2017 Supreme Green Ribbon Award. This team effort over seven years involving iwi, councils and landowners has achieved significant improvements in water quality in the Whangawehi River and in protecting native plants and animals,” Dr Smith says.

Conservation Minister Maggie Barry says she fully supports Fish and Game’s decision to phase out lead shot for waterfowl hunting.

Fish & Game’s New Zealand Council voted last month to end the exemption which allowed several thousand firearms owners to use lead shot.

“By the 2021 shooting season, shotgun owners will have to use non-toxic shot when they’re hunting ducks, swan and pukeko over water,” Ms Barry says.

The achievements of dedicated conservation workers and volunteers have been recognised in this year’s Queen’s Birthday Honours list released today.

Conservation Minister Maggie Barry has congratulated the recipients and says everyone on the list has been recognised for the exceptional work they do for their local communities and New Zealand.

Conservation Minister Maggie Barry is to attend the United Nations Ocean Conference in New York this week and will host the UN Secretary General’s launch of ‘The World Ocean Assessment’.

“New Zealand and Barbados co-chaired the process which led to the publication of this landmark document that will help inform the discussion around how we save our oceans,” Ms Barry says.

Associate Conservation Minister Hon Peter Dunne today announced new appointments to the Game Animal Council (GAC). The GAC was established in 2013 for the management of game herds (deer, tahr, chamois and pigs) throughout New Zealand.

“I am pleased to announce that I am appointing three new members to the Council, Richard Burdon, Rachael Dean and Stephen Hall, who will join six sitting Councillors,” said Mr Dunne.

The full Council membership is :

Conservation Minister Maggie Barry has welcomed the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment’s report on saving New Zealand’s native birds and her endorsement of Predator Free 2050. 

“Dr Jan Wright identifies a broad range of important matters that are key to saving our treasured native birds, and reinforces DOC is on the right track with its species protection work,” Ms Barry says.

Conservation Minister Maggie Barry says the Whio Recovery Programme has made considerable progress towards securing the future of the species.

“Through a $4.5 million partnership with Genesis Energy going back to 2011 we have effective predator control at eight sites and some protection at 17 other sites. There is a network of 5000 new stoat traps protecting 599 pairs of whio across the country,” Ms Barry says.

Environment Minister Dr Nick Smith and Conservation Minister Maggie Barry today announced the 2017 Green Ribbon Awards finalists, recognising exceptional environmental and conservation initiatives throughout New Zealand.

“These national awards, now in their 27th year, play an important role in celebrating and raising the profile of outstanding contributions by individuals, communities and organisations to protect and manage New Zealand’s environment,” Dr Smith says.

Budget 2017 invests an additional $107.8 million to strengthen conservation programmes and manage tourism growth on public conservation land, Conservation Minister Maggie Barry says.

“This funding continues the Government’s commitment to Predator Free 2050 with a range of specific initiatives to protect and restore threatened species, fight kauri dieback, increase predator, pest and weed control and marine protection as well as respond to tourism growth,” Ms Barry says.

Our unique natural heritage is set to inspire New Zealand artists through an initiative announced today by the Minister of Conservation and the Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage, Maggie Barry.

“Wild Creations will offer a range of opportunities to connect New Zealand artists with the people, stories and challenges of our distinctive natural culture - from spending time alongside a threatened species recovery team and tracking native bird predators, to accompanying volunteers on conservation projects,” Ms Barry says.

Arts, Culture and Heritage Minister Maggie Barry has announced the appointment of four new members to the Heritage New Zealand Board and to the Māori Heritage Council.

“The new members of the Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga Board are Bryce Barnett, Chris Cochran, Kim Ngārimu and David Nicoll and the new members of the Māori Heritage Council are Chris Cochran, Rebecca (Liz) Mellish and Paul White,” Ms Barry says.

A $3.4 million investment into the Taranaki Crossing is part of the Government’s plan to boost growth in Taranaki, Economic Development Minister Simon Bridges and Conservation Minister Maggie Barry say.

The investment will over time form part of Taranaki’s Economic Action Plan as part of the Government’s Regional Growth Programme.

This week, Minister Bridges welcomed the launch of Make Way for Taranaki. The project, led by the region, will prepare an economic strategy and plan of action for Taranaki for the next 10 years.

The Outdoor Recreation Consortium, which has been lovingly restoring and maintaining huts and tracks in the remote backcountry, is being given certainty of funding for the next two years.

The Minister of Conservation Maggie Barry has announced that the Consortium, led by Federated Mountain Clubs, New Zealand Deerstalkers’ Association and Trail Fund New Zealand, will be granted $350,000 a year for the next two years from the DOC Community Fund.

Conservation Minister Maggie Barry says DOC is fully able to do its job of protecting precious native species while also managing the increasing number of tourists coming to New Zealand.

In the past week, Minister Barry has announced $76m for DOC to manage the growing number of visitors on public conservation land, $21.3m for Battle For Our Birds, $2.8m for a sea lion threat management plan and has released the first ever Threatened Species Strategy.

Conservation Minister Maggie Barry says the fourth round of a multi-million-dollar fund to support community conservation projects opens for applications today.

“The DOC Community Fund was set up three years ago to distribute $26 million over four years and it continues to make a big difference for many community groups who would have struggled to do their great work without some timely financial help,” Ms Barry says.

Conservation Minister Maggie Barry says DOC will fight this year’s beech forest mast year increase in rat and stoat numbers with a $21.3 million war chest from Budget 2017 for the Battle for our Birds control campaign.

“I can confirm there will be a widespread forest seeding, or mast, once again this year that will trigger a big increase in vermin,” Ms Barry says. “The mast event will affect much of the North Island, the northern South Island and parts of western Otago.

The Government will invest $76 million through Budget 2017 on new and upgraded tourism infrastructure for the Department of Conservation as part of a $178 million tourism infrastructure package, Conservation Minister Maggie Barry says.

“The new funding will allow DOC to better manage the impact of visitor growth, while also protecting our biodiversity and threatened species,” Ms Barry says.

Conservation Minister Maggie Barry has issued a “call to action” for the nation to get behind efforts to protect New Zealand’s threatened native plants and animals.

Minister Barry launched the Department of Conservation’s draft Threatened Species Strategy at the Threatened Species Summit in Wellington this morning.

“Our unique plants and animals are found nowhere else on earth and help to define who we are as New Zealanders, adding immeasurable value to our culture, our identity and our landscapes,” Minister Barry says.