National just paying lip service to conservation

National is merely paying lip service to the announcement of developing a National Policy Statement on biodiversity, Labour Acting Conservation spokesperson Steve Chadwick says.

“It is difficult to believe National is serious about a cohesive policy on biodiversity when it is deliberately turning the Department of Conservation into an organisation whose main focus is money making, rather than one protecting conservation values.

“Labour understands that National is getting ready to make at least 80 staff redundant as it moves the organisation to a more business orientated model.

“This short-sighted approach to the Department of Conservation is not only putting issues like bio-diversity at risk but also will potentially seriously damage New Zealand’s international reputation as a clean green country that tourists want to visit.

“The Minister of Conservation needs to do better than pay lip service to issues like biodiversity. Let’s not forget this is a Minister that signed off on a document to open hundreds of thousands of hectares of conservation land up to exploration for mining,” Steve Chadwick said.

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