Department of Conservation Archive

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  Something stinks here, and it’s not just Lake Ellesmere - by frog

  
  
  
  In March last year, as part of his Dirty Rivers Tour, Russel Norman visited his first dirty lake – Lake Ellesmere, or Te Waihora. He found signs by the boatramp that said not to touch the water, as it’s a health hazard due to toxic algae. The Department of Conservation, along with Ngāi Tahu and [...] read more
  January 24, 2011 1:45 pm - 9 Comments
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  Interesting answers to hard questions (for public servants!) - by Kevin Hague

  
  
  
  Sometimes it can be tricky being a senior public servant. The Department of Conservation senior management just fronted up to the Local Government and Environment Select Committee for the Department’s ‘financial review’. This is the Department’s accountability mechanism to Parliament for how it spent its public money in the 2009-10 year, but in practice the [...] read more
  December 9, 2010 4:41 pm - 1 Comment
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  It’s the elephant, not the money - by Metiria Turei

  
  
  
  The media kerfuffle over Meridian’s secret ‘hush-money’ paid to DOC to supposedly silence its concerns with the Project Hayes wind farm is a little off the mark. While “following the money” is often a good maxim, in this case the elephant in the room is actually Government policy. Back in 2004, when the Labour Government began [...] read more
  February 17, 2009 1:32 pm - 3 Comments
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  Imminent extinction for august snail - by frog

  
  
  
  The Department of Conservation says that the powelliphanta augustus snails are not faring so well in their new homes. Up to 40% mortality is evident in the new populations established just within the last 2 years.Over 6000 snails have been gathered up and thrown in DOC fridges for the crime of daring to live on [...] read more
  November 28, 2008 3:39 pm - 13 Comments
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  The politics of architecture - by frog

  
  
  
  The September-October issue of the ArchitectureNZ magazine asks each political party leader to nominate a building which they admire or is significant to them.  And what it found was: The Left’s traditional, the Right’s radical, the Greens are right–on, the Maori look in and the Centre looks back. Russel chose the Ataturk Memorial, which stands [...] read more
  October 8, 2008 10:47 am - 9 Comments
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  Introduced species - by frog

  
  
  
  The Kiwi Party spent the weekend wrestling with United Future over the scraps of the Outdoor Recreation Party vote. On the funny side, I like this statement from Baldock’s release (with the conflicting release dates on it) is: The conflict [within DOC between conservation and recreation] arose because some DOC managers believe deer and trout for [...] read more
  September 8, 2008 9:23 am - 11 Comments
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  DoC’s rebranding - by frog

  
  
  
  Nick Smith reckons the Department of Conservation (DoC) is about to spend $2.3 million re-branding [RNZ mp3 podcast] itself, just months after laying off 60 workers to save money.  DoC disputes that and says the figure is in the tens of thousands of dollars rather than millions.  But that doesn’t really change the underlying point.  [...] read more
  August 14, 2008 9:11 am - 11 Comments
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  Big game hunting - by frog

  
  
  
  United Future has again proposed splitting the Department of Conservation (DOC) into two organisations: one “responsible for ‘conservation’ aspects such as…pest control”, and the “other responsible for ‘recreation’ aspects such as…game management”. Therein lies the rub and the reason United Future’s policy is bad: ‘game animals’ are both pest and resource. E.g. Deer, pigs, chamois [...] read more
  July 19, 2008 10:29 pm - 3 Comments
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  Crown cows - by frog

  
  
  
  I realised yesterday that I hadn’t yet highlighted the scandalous part of Russel’s investigations into water yet, so those of you who had not seen his speech or don’t follow rural media, such as the Farmers Weekly, may not be aware that a debate has been raging about the fact that Government’s fingerprints have been [...] read more
  June 12, 2008 9:54 am - 11 Comments
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  Trading dolphins for diplomats - by frog

  
  
  
  ECO has contrasted the Department of Conservation’s job cutting efforts to save $8 million (and the subsequent likely loss of 56 conservation staff) to the recently announced Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade announcement of $104 million per year to help them negotiate new trade deals. It seems to me that this is an unfair [...] read more
  April 22, 2008 11:32 am - 1 Comment
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  The Mokihinui question - by frog

  
  
  
  Today’s Green question in Parliament – Metiria Turei to the Minister of Conservation: Does the Department of Conservation plan to submit on the resource consent applications for Meridian Energy Limited’s Mokihinui Hydro Proposal; if so, will the Department be advocating for the protection of the river? You can watch parliament questions and answers at 2pm [...] read more
  April 15, 2008 11:27 am - 13 Comments
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  A saga about bees, biosecurity and GE - by frog

  
  
  
  There was an article in the Gisborne Herald over the weekend where Gisborne beekeepers argued that the Government is sacrificing New Zealand’s environment and biosecurity in order to promote free trade. Beekeepers were protesting about the Biosecurity and Hazardous Substances Legislation Amendment Bill, which passed last week despite opposition from the Greens and the Maori [...] read more
  April 10, 2008 4:18 pm - 5 Comments
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  Celebrating a loss - by frog

  
  
  
  Solid Energy is in the news blaming protesters for its loss of $2.7 million dollars for the year. If only. Actually a lot of that loss came from costs associated with its legal requirement to move the threatened Powelliphanta Augustus snail. Remember that the Department of Conservation’s original recommendation to the Minister was that the [...] read more
  March 26, 2008 1:37 pm - 14 Comments
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  Arapawa Island goats - by frog

  
  
  
  Well after I mocked him it seems Gordon Copeland has come up with an interesting issue for parliamentary debate today.  It’s possibly not the biggest issue for our time, but worthy of discussion none the less. Question 4 – Gordon Copeland to the Minister of Conservation: Is the Department of Conservation still proposing to proceed [...] read more
  March 5, 2008 12:26 pm - 8 Comments