The Government’s newly released biodiversity plan leaves a massive nature funding gap unaddressed and amounts to little more than greenwashing, warns WWF-New Zealand.

“New Zealand has more than 4,000 native species at risk of extinction and we desperately need a credible plan to turn around biodiversity decline. Right now, this is all words and no action,” says WWF-New Zealand spokesperson Caitlin Owers.

“You can’t spend your entire term in government undermining environmental protections and cutting conservation funding, and then expect a plan with no new investment to make a meaningful difference.

“Let’s be clear: this is a government that has allowed commercial fishing in marine protected areas, opened the door for conservation land to be bulldozed through fast-track processes, and weakened wildlife protections in ways that make it easier for developers to harm native species.

“You can’t promise nature recovery on one hand while actively eroding the protections that make it possible. It’s greenwashing of the highest order,” says Owers.

WWF-New Zealand says the Government’s heavy reliance on private funding, philanthropy and volunteers amounts to ‘outsourcing’ responsibility for nature.

“Protecting biodiversity is a core public responsibility. It should not depend on the goodwill of philanthropists or already stretched communities to fill the gaps left by decades of government underinvestment.”

The Department of Conservation manages around a third of New Zealand’s land area but has been chronically under-funded since its inception. Even DOC acknowledges its current funding enables it to protect and restore only 10-15 percent of the species and ecosystems it is responsible for.

WWF-New Zealand’s Nature Positive Aotearoa report shows that properly protecting and investing in halting and reversing nature loss could save the country more than $270 billion over the next 50 years.

“Nature underpins our tourism and primary industries and is central to our wellbeing and identity as New Zealanders,” says Owers.

“If the Government is serious about stopping biodiversity loss, it needs to match ambition with investment. Without that, these commitments are little more than words on paper.

“Whatever Minister Potaka is selling, New Zealanders should look closely. Because right now, it doesn’t stack up.”

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