Pest plan a start but is not enough

Thirty-four years is a long time. In 2050, if the trap slams shut on the last remaining stoat in New Zealand, we can judge as a huge success the pest-control strategy just announced by the National Government.

Pragmatically, though, that target is many, many years away. How many members of the Government will still be in Parliament then? And the $28 million being put by the Government into the scheme is a very small amount, roughly the same that was spent on the failed effort to change the flag.

The idea deserves support, not least because finally the Government has shown an interest in protecting, and improving, our environment. It would be easy to be cynical and say the lengthy timeline reflects a desire to push accountability a long way downstream. However, nobody can doubt the job of making our country predator-free is a colossal undertaking that will stretch across generations and has immeasurable benefits for New Zealand Inc and its green reputation.

Prime Minister John Key says predators – such as stoats, feral cats, possums and rats – kill 25 million native birds a year. Pests are estimated to cost the country about $3.3 billion every year and he believes this is ‘‘the most ambitious conservation project’’ ever attempted globally. Conservation Minister Maggie Barry says achieving the 2050 goal will require a ‘‘massive team effort’’ involving government agencies, councils, private sector organisations, iwi and communities. And Science and Innovation Minister Steven Joyce says technology is making pest extermination on a larger scale cheaper and more feasible.

With just $28m set aside at this stage by the Government, this scheme is going to require a lot of private funding to make it work. A new Crown entity – Predator Free New Zealand Ltd – will oversee the publicprivate partnership and identify pest-control projects with the greatest potential impact. For every $2 put in by councils and the private sector, the Government is pledging to disburse $1.

The strategy has been welcomed positively by most. The Green Party is among those who have praised the aims – and who wouldn’t? – but has also introduced a reality check that the Government’s contribution is merely a drop in the bucket.

Greens conservation spokesman Kevin Hague says that amount might make Stewart Island predator-free but University of Auckland calculations show $9b is more likely the price tag for clearing the whole country. He also raises the spectre of the scheme collapsing if not enough private funding can be secured.

Commendably, the Government has set some interim goals to achieve by 2025, including having 1 million hectares where pests are suppressed or removed, and a scientific breakthrough capable of eradicating one small mammal predator.

There have been successful public-private partnerships in the conservation sector. But do we really need a Crown entity to manage the process? Why not give the money instead to the beleaguered Department of Conservation, which has had millions of dollars cut out of its budgets for several years, to start the ball rolling?