$1.1 billion investment to create 11,000 environment jobs in our regions

Conservation Minister Eugenie Sage says Budget 2020 will create almost 11,000 new jobs in regional New Zealand to restore our environment.

• $433 million for new jobs in regional environmental projects
• $315 million biosecurity, including weed and pest control.
• $200 million for DOC's Jobs for Nature programme
• $154 million for new jobs enhancing biodiversity on public and private land

She says “this investment in nature will not only support thousands of people with jobs but pay dividends for generations to come by giving nature a helping hand.”

Pest eradication and management 

This $315 million package is made up of four initiatives:

• $148 million for the Department of Conservation to ramp up pest control and eradication, including advancing Predator Free New Zealand and working with iwi to prevent the collapse of North Island forests.
• $28 million for the Ministry for Primary Industries to get populations of wallabies in the Bay of Plenty, Waikato, Canterbury and Otago under control.
• $40m for Land Information NZ to undertake pest and weed control in rivers on Crown land.
• $100m for jobs to help control wilding pines.

Eugenie Sage says “This Government is committed to looking after nature and people’s livelihoods. We are supercharging the efforts of iwi, the Department of Conservation and the community to control pests and weeds, restore wetlands and return native bush to health so our natural landscapes and birds like kiwi kaka and kakāriki can thrive."