Scoop has an Ethical Paywall
Work smarter with a Pro licence Learn More
Parliament

Gordon Campbell | Parliament TV | Parliament Today | Video | Questions Of the Day | Search

 

DOC changes undermine Cave Creek measures

11 April 2013

DOC changes undermine Cave Creek measures

Changes and cuts being made to the Department of Conservation (DOC) undermine measures implemented in response to the Cave Creek disaster, the Green Party said today.

The Commission of Inquiry into the 1995 Cave Creek disaster where 14 people were killed, said: “The department has been underfunded from the outset, with consequent difficulty in carrying out its statutory functions and duties”.

“DOC is being run down by the National Government and I am concerned that it will end up unable to carry out its statutory functions and duties,” Green Party conservation spokesperson Eugenie Sage said.

“DOC’s current structure of field centres, area offices and regional conservancy offices reporting to the national office was established in response to the systemic failures which contributed to the Cave Creek tragedy.

“Changes made post-Cave Creek were made for a reason, and they should not be unravelled without serious thought into what impacts that may have.

“Staff numbers in DOC’s West Coast conservancy are being reduced to 111 full time equivalent positions. At the time of the Cave Creek disaster there were112.5 positions on the West Coast and the Commission of Inquiry raised serious concerns about resourcing.

“It’s very worrying that accountability will be reduced by the proposed new structure to split the Department into partnership and service arms and staff in one office will have to report to different managers in different locations.

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading

Are you getting our free newsletter?

Subscribe to Scoop’s 'The Catch Up' our free weekly newsletter sent to your inbox every Monday with stories from across our network.

“These cuts should be reversed as it is clear that little consideration has gone into the impact they will have on DOC’s ability to do its job to protect our precious places and species and to ensure it can fulfil all their duties.”

Background
Permanent staff in DOC have been cut from 1,906 in 2009/10 to 1,639 in 2011/12. When DOC was established in 1987 it had 2,300 staff according to the Commission of Inquiry’s report.

The Commission of Inquiry into Cave Creek said: “No government organisation can do its job without adequate resourcing. In my opinion, it is up to governments to ensure that departments charged with carrying out statutory functions for the benefit of the community are provided with sufficient resources to enable them to do so. Here, the evidence is clear that the Department of Conservation lacked and continues to lack those resources. For future safety that must change.”

ENDS

© Scoop Media

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading
 
 
 
Parliament Headlines | Politics Headlines | Regional Headlines


Gordon Campbell: On The US Opposition To Mortgage Interest Deductibility For Landlords


Should landlords be able to deduct the interest on the loans they take out to bankroll their property speculation? The US Senate Budget Committee and Bloomberg News don't think this is a good idea, for reasons set out below. Regardless, our coalition government has been burning through a ton of political capital by giving landlords a huge $2.9 billion tax break via interest deductibility, while still preaching the need for austerity to the disabled, and to everyone else...
More


 
 

Government: Concerns Conveyed To China Over Cyber Activity
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has confirmed New Zealand’s concerns about cyber activity have been conveyed directly to the Chinese Government. “The Prime Minister and Minister Collins have expressed concerns today about malicious cyber activity... More

ALSO:


Government: GDP Decline Reinforces Government’s Fiscal Plan

Declining GDP for the December quarter reinforces the importance of restoring fiscal discipline to public spending and driving more economic growth, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says... More

ALSO:


Government: Humanitarian Support For Gaza & West Bank

Winston Peters has announced NZ is providing a further $5M to respond to the extreme humanitarian need in Gaza and the West Bank. “The impact of the Israel-Hamas conflict on civilians is absolutely appalling," he said... More


Government: New High Court Judge Appointed

Judith Collins has announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister Jason Scott McHerron as a High Court Judge. Justice McHerron graduated from the University of Otago with a BA in English Literature in 1994 and an LLB in 1996... More

 
 
 
 
 
 

LATEST HEADLINES

  • PARLIAMENT
  • POLITICS
  • REGIONAL
 
 

InfoPages News Channels


 
 
 
 

Join Our Free Newsletter

Subscribe to Scoop’s 'The Catch Up' our free weekly newsletter sent to your inbox every Monday with stories from across our network.