Jobs for Nature roles cost $200,000 each, report shows
The Government’s Jobs for Nature programme is costing hundreds of thousands of dollars per job in some cases, a report from a parliamentary select committee reveals.
Jobs for Nature is a $1.219 billion programme that manages funding across multiple government agencies. It was part of the Covid-19 response programme, designed to benefit the environment and also to provide employment in regions that have been adversely affected by the pandemic.
Land Information New Zealand was allocated $40 million over four years for a job-creation initiative involving work to control pests and weeds.
The initiative was expected to create about 100 jobs, 70 per cent of which would be in Canterbury and Otago, and the remainder in Southland, Waikato, and Bay of Plenty.
The primary production select committee report said it had a target of creating 100 jobs a year under the Jobs for Nature scheme, equating to at least 50 full-time-equivalent jobs. Of the 50 jobs created by Land Information NZ, all were new.
But the committee noted that some members had concerns about the high cost of the jobs. Estimates put the cost at about $200,000 per full-time employee. Members of the committee are Act MP Mark Cameron, National MPs Ian McKelvie and David Bennett and Labour Party MPs Steph Lewis, Jo Luxton and Anna Lorck.
‘‘At the hearing, the land information minister could not confirm what the total cost was.
‘‘He said that for more simple roles, the cost could be $80,000 per FTE.’’
A spokesman for Land Information Minister Damien O’Connor said that figure would cover the project costs and labour involved.
‘‘Beyond the investment in people and jobs, Jobs for Nature project costs also includes things such as specialist equipment, logistics, travel and risk management for people working in what can be remote places in the outdoors, including some of New Zealand’s most iconic lakes and rivers.’’
ACT conservation spokeswoman Nicole McKee said it was ridiculous. Budget documents showed another Jobs for Nature programme to carry out pest control of wallabies cost $685,000 per person employed.
‘‘ACT values the work that hunters and trappers are doing for conservation in New Zealand, but the way these programmes are set up are expensive failures.
‘‘At a time when debt has ballooned, Labour is happy to throw around taxpayers’ money without a care for the value it gets or the impact on future generations.