5th October 2012
Public values conservation – government should too

The Public Service Association says it’s a shame the government does not put the same value on conservation as the public.

A Department of Conservation annual survey of 3,885 people on their attitudes to conservation shows that 85% of New Zealanders consider that conservation is important to them and 77% believe that spending money on conservation is a good investment in the prosperity and wellbeing of New Zealanders.

“DOC staff will undoubtedly welcome that vote of confidence in the important work that they do, but clearly it’s the government which needs to be convinced,” says PSA National Secretary Brenda Pilott.

DOC has been one of the hardest hit by government funding cuts to the public sector, resulting in the loss of around 140 jobs in the past year.

Brenda Pilott says there looks to be no end in sight.

“As the government slashes another $1 billion from departmental budgets this year, DOC is having to embark on yet another review to find an additional $9 million in savings.”

“Funding cuts are already impacting on DOC’s operations and it’s ironic that at a time when the public is saying it values conservation, the government seems bent on running it down,” she says.

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