Recently something strange happened on Newshub. The media showed some news lacking in bias towards a nonsense notion about pest control.

Predator Free NZ 2050 has been known to be a nonsense notion by the entire Ban 1080 community since its inception. Yet, finally a top ecologist got air time to shine a light on a farce that has been playing out ever since the National Party first announced it.

Nga Kaitiaki Tuku Iho support the view held by Wayne Linklater and Jamie Steer that Predator Free is “impossible” and “unachievable”. We state further that it is also a waste of tax-payer money and an egregious assault on provincial growth. Yesterday, New Zealand First announced that they will put close to $20 million into alternatives to 1080 from the provincial growth fund. Ban 1080 supporters have looked upon this announcement sceptically. So they should, because the money is going to Predator Free NZ. That’s right, the same poorly conceived concept being described by two top ecologists as nonsense.

I am Brad Flutey, Chairman of the newly formed Nga Kaitiaki Tuku Iho Incorporated society. For the past 9 months I have been working on an alternative conceptual model for conservation which does not require years of repeat payments from your taxes at rates in the millions of dollars. Nor does it require $20 million for research. It does not require the eradication of every unwanted wildlife organism. What it does do, is generate revenue to sustain its own programme, and to provide a favourable lifestyle to those who wish to be Kaitiaki from home.

The Ecological Sustainable Conservation Model is not for an operation of the Department of Conservation. Nor is it for a wealthy business philanthropist. It is for the Kaitiaki (Guardians) of Aotearoa and you don’t have to be Maori to be a Kaitiaki. All you have to do, is care a whole awful lot, so we can change things for the better. That is what the Provincial Growth fund is for: To empower communities and hapu, not to fatten existing Crown entities.

Brad Flutey
Nga Kaitiaki Tuku Iho

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