Expensive pet food!
OPINION: Your canine crusader was staggered to learn that an investigation by the Taxpayers' Union has revealed that taxpayers and Otago ratepayers have forked out more than $2.76 million to kill just... 18 wallabies!
The Government’s Jobs for Nature funding is being made available to conservation groups and landowners, says Minister for Conservation Kiri Allan.
The move has been made in an attempt to boost local biodiversity-focused projects.
It is estimated the fund will create more than 400 jobs with opportunities in ecology, restoration, trapping, pest control, fencing and project management through a $34 million funding boost.
An $18 million dedicated Private Land Biodiversity Fund will be made available to established organisations that support groups of private landowners to work together to protect and restore habitats that safeguard populations of native species on private land.
“We know many farmers value and are active in managing biodiversity on their farms, and this fund provides the opportunity to support groups of landowners to expand biodiversity projects while also providing jobs,” Allan says.
$16 million has been set aside for a Community Conservation Fund designed to be used by community-led conservation projects on public and private lands.
“This approach will help established community groups scale up their projects, take their conservation goals to the next level and provide great employment opportunities for locals.”
“This is not only a big win for biodiversity on private and public land, it is also a big win for local communities and their post-Covid economic revival,” Allan says.
The investment is part of the $1.245 billion Jobs for Nature Covid-19 recovery package aimed at providing nature-based job opportunities for 1000 people over the next four years.
A brilliant result and great news for growers and regional economies. That's how horticulture sector leaders are describing the news that sector exports for the year ended June 30 will reach $8.4 billion - an increase of 19% on last year and is forecast to hit close to $10 billion in 2029.
Funding is proving crucial for predator control despite a broken model reliant on the goodwill of volunteers.
A major milestone on New Zealand's unique journey to eradicate Mycoplasma bovis could come before the end of this year.
We're working through it, and we'll get to it.
The debate around New Zealand's future in the Paris Agreement is heating up.
A technical lab manager for Apata, Phoebe Scherer, has won the Bay of Plenty 2025 Young Grower regional title.