Green Party Co-Leader Rod Donald said he was delighted that the $300,000 initiative to fund and set up environment centres as part of the Green Budget Package has come to fruition.

"Today's announcement by the Greens and the Government to establish the fund is a well deserved Christmas present for the country's environment centres," said Mr Donald.

The $300,000, from Vote Environment, will make grants of up to $50,000 per centre to assist them with day to day running costs such as administration and rent.

Mr Donald said the extra funding was a low-cost way to recognise the value of community environment centres and to give these centres some certainty, security and above all encouragement.

"Community environment centres are the public face of the environment and conservation movements in many communities and they play a very important role in providing information to the public, especially school students, and in co-ordinating local environmental initiatives," said Mr Donald.

Mr Donald said community environment centres were a valuable resource for schools and often assisted the Department of Conservation, the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority, the Ministry of the Environment and local councils in distributing information.

"The Greens have supported an investment in environmental centres to build up community understanding and support for conserving nature and looking after the environment," said Mr Donald.

Rod Donald said he was thrilled the last of the Green Party's initiatives have also been signed off including the provision of $1 million for environmental legal aid, social and environmental reporting, environmental accounting measures and the launch of a pesticide reduction programme.

Ends

© Scoop Media