Conservation Minister Maggie Barry has today welcomed the efforts of a young Taranaki conservationist which will contribute to making New Zealand predator free by 2050.

Ms Barry met with 8 year-old Monte Woodward while visiting New Plymouth on Saturday.

“Monte is to be congratulated. He has worked hard to raise money by running sausage sizzles and washing cars to purchase two traps which will help protect some of our most vulnerable native wildlife from rats, stoats and possums.” Ms Barry says.

Achieving the goal of a Predator Free New Zealand by 2050 will require a massive team effort across the public, private, iwi and community sectors, Conservation Minister Maggie Barry says.

The Government today announced the adoption of the Predator Free New Zealand 2050 target and plans to set up a new public-private partnership company by the beginning of 2017 to help fund regional large-scale predator eradication programmes.

A major new addition to the Kahurangi National Park in Nelson has been announced today by Conservation Minister Maggie Barry.

Five parcels of high value land totalling more than 890 hectares have been formally gazetted as part of the National Park.

“Kahurangi is one of New Zealand’s special places – a wild and rugged land of mountains and forests, pristine lakes and spectacular coastline,” Ms Barry says.

The largest pest control operation in New Zealand’s history has been launched today by Conservation Minister Maggie Barry.

Battle for our Birds 2016 will protect our nation’s most vulnerable native species from the potentially catastrophic explosion of rats and stoats in New Zealand forests as a result of a beech mast event.

At an event at Bob’s Cove near Queenstown today Ms Barry announced aerial 1080 drops have been confirmed for 19 sites covering more than 720,000 hectares of high value land.

New Zealanders are being asked to have their say on the environmental science priorities facing the nation, Environment Minister Dr Nick Smith and Conservation Minister Maggie Barry say.

A discussion paper released today will lead to a conservation and environment science “roadmap” identifying priority areas for scientific research during the next 20 years.

The ambitious Million Dollar Mouse pest eradication project on remote Antipodes Island in the sub-Antarctic has been completed ahead of schedule, Conservation Minister Maggie Barry says.

A second helicopter drop of rodent bait across the island was finished yesterday afternoon, following a first phase completed on June 29.

“Despite very unsettled weather conditions, the Million Dollar Mouse team have done an outstanding job of making use of every available weather window to get the bait drop completed,” Ms Barry says.

Associate Minister of Conservation Nicky Wagner welcomes the Awaroa beach property becoming part of the Abel Tasman National Park today after its purchase through a Givealittle campaign.

Ms Wagner, Environment Minister Dr Nick Smith and West Coast based MP Maureen Pugh are today at the Awaroa beach for a celebration of it being gifted to the nation.

A newly-signed partnership between DOC and Fulton Hogan will help the critically-endangered takahē continue its recovery, Conservation Minister Maggie Barry says.

Worth $1 million, the partnership was signed at the Burwood Takahē Centre near Te Anau today by DOC director-general Lou Sanson and Fulton Hogan’s director of investments, Bob Fulton.

“The Takahē Recovery Programme has just had its most successful breeding season on record, with 38 chicks fledged,” Ms Barry says.

The Million Dollar Mouse rodent eradication expedition to Antipodes Island in the sub-Antarctic has completed its first phase today, Conservation Minister Maggie Barry says.

Rodent bait has been carefully applied across the 2000-hectare island by two helicopters working in weather windows over the last 12 days.

“Completing the first bait drop just over a month after the expedition arrived at Antipodes is a significant step on the way to ridding the island of mice,” Ms Barry says.

Associate Minister of Conservation Nicky Wagner says it’s great to see young people rolling up their sleeves and volunteering for conservation.

“This week is National Volunteer Week and is a chance to celebrate people of all ages making time in their busy lives to volunteer and help protect New Zealand’s natural heritage,” Ms Wagner says.

“More than 15,000 people participated in Department of Conservation volunteer programmes last year, working the equivalent of about 35,000 work days. 

Conservation Minister Maggie Barry says the new kakapo recovery partnership between DOC and Meridian Energy is great news for efforts to save one of New Zealand’s most beloved birds.

“I’m delighted to welcome Meridian as the new partner for the Kākāpō Recovery Programme,” Ms Barry says.

“Following the biggest breeding season in living memory, Meridian’s investment will enable DOC and our Treaty partner Ngāi Tahu to expand work with the birds even further.”

Conservation Minister Maggie Barry has announced this year’s Dirty Dozen plants as part of the ongoing War on Weeds.

“This year we are going to have a baker’s dozen of weeds – with enemy number one the wilding conifer,” Ms Barry says.

“Wildings now cover approximately 1.8 million hectares of land and are advancing at around 5 per cent a year. They transform entire landscapes, ruin native ecosystems and take over productive land indiscriminately.

A facility to research new methods of pest control opened at Lincoln University today will make a major contribution to the ongoing war against introduced predators, Conservation Minister Maggie Barry says.

The facility, built by the DOC-backed initiative Zero Invasive Predators as part of an ongoing collaboration with Lincoln University, is an opportunity to research new ways to control possums, rats and stoats.

Te Whangai Trust from Waikato has today been announced as the Supreme Winner of the 2016 Green Ribbon Awards.

Now in their 26th year, the Green Ribbon Awards recognise exceptional environmental achievements by individuals and organisations around New Zealand. 

The Awards were presented at a Parliamentary function today, co-hosted by Environment Minister Dr Nick Smith and Conservation Minister Maggie Barry.

Conservation Minister Maggie Barry has presented New Zealand’s foremost botany award, the Loder Cup, to Neill and Barbara Simpson of Queenstown.

One of New Zealand’s oldest conservation awards, the Loder Cup recognises outstanding work to investigate, promote, retain and cherish the country’s incomparable native plant life.

“Neill and Barbara Simpson truly deserve to be honoured with the presentation of the cup at the Green Ribbon Awards tonight,” Ms Barry says.

Glenfern Sanctuary on Great Barrier Island has been bought for the public thanks to a joint bid backed by the Government, Conservation Minister Maggie Barry says.

“I’m pleased to announce that after considerable negotiations the sale of the Glenfern property has been completed and its future is now secure,” Ms Barry says.

“I acknowledge the hard work of local MP Nikki Kaye, who has been strong advocate for the project and its benefits for Great Barrier Island.”

Two young kakapo will be returned to the species’ pest-free island sanctuaries on a special helicopter flight today, Conservation Minister Maggie Barry says.

The chicks, Konini 2 and Wendy 2, will be flown back to Whenua Hou/Codfish Island from Invercargill, with Ms Barry and Ngāi Tahu representative Tane Davis as chaperones.

“This is a milestone not only for Konini and Wendy but for the entire recovery programme,” Ms Barry says,

An ant considered one of the most destructive invasive species in the world has been successfully eradicated from Tiritiri Matangi Island in the Hauraki Gulf, Conservation Minister Maggie Barry says.

“Tiritiri Matangi is one of the few places in the world where Argentine ants have been successfully eradicated, the culmination of 16 years of hard work by DOC staff and volunteers,” Ms Barry says.

New Zealand conservation will benefit from Budget 2016 with a wide range of funding commitments to protect native wildlife and landscapes, Conservation Minister Maggie Barry says.

Suggestions from the Opposition and some NGOs there has been a cut in DOC’s budget are incorrect.

“In reacting to the Treasury documents released as part of Budget Day, the $472m figure for the final total Vote Conservation spend in 2015/16 has been compared with the starting figure for the Vote in 2016/17 - $430m.

Budget 2016 provides $16 million of new operating funding over four years to tackle wilding conifers, Primary Industries Minister Nathan Guy and Conservation Minister Maggie Barry say.

“These invasive trees are a major threat to our ecosystems, land and farms. They spread fast and are very hard to eradicate once established,” Mr Guy says.

Conservation Minister Maggie Barry has said bon voyage to the Million Dollar Mouse expedition sailing for Antipodes Island in the Sub-Antarctic on a mission to eradicate mice.

A supply ship leaves Timaru today carrying helicopters and equipment to join a passenger yacht already on its way. A 13-strong team of experts including pilots, engineers and eradication specialists are on board the two vessels.

One of New Zealand’s finest walks has been reopened on Great Barrier Island today, marking the end of work to restore damage caused by the June 2014 storm.

Conservation Minister Maggie Barry says the official reopening of the Aotea Track by local MP Nikki Kaye completes the Department of Conservation’s repair work on the island.

“The Aotea Track, which runs for 25km through the heart of the island, is one of Great Barrier’s major tourism draws and is important to its economy.”

A multi-million dollar fund set aside to support community conservation will open for a third round of applications on 23 May, Conservation Minister Maggie Barry has announced.

The DOC Community Fund was set up in 2014 to distribute $26 million over four years to inspire and enable community-led conservation projects around New Zealand.

“This fund has made a big difference for many smaller groups who would have struggled to do their great work without some timely help,” Ms Barry says.

An eradication programme partly funded by the island’s part-owner Sir Michael Fay and involving DOC expertise has wiped out the population of introduced kiore, ship rats and feral cats.

“Sir Michael’s commitment to this project with DOC has produced a result that they could not have achieved working by themselves,” Ms Barry says.

“Forging a partnership with DOC’s scientific knowledge and the commitment of local volunteers has enabled the island to become a safe haven for native wildlife.”