Answers to further questions to the Minister of Conservation from the Local Government and Environment Committee.

Transcription

1 1. During 2009/10 baseline reductions were largely able to be absorbed through efficiency and effectiveness initiatives. In 2010/11, the second year of baseline reductions, what processes does the Minister intend to implement to ensure that ongoing reductions do not have any significant impact on the delivery of services and programs and particularly on the outcomes intended from those services and programs? The Department of Conservation will continue to seek efficiency and effectiveness improvements as the main means of ensuring delivery of services and programmes now that the reductions have been taken into baseline budgets. These include a suite of efficiency initiatives, for example focusing on increasing use of video conferencing and more timely air-booking practices aimed at reducing air-travel costs, an ongoing vehicle fleet replacement programme focused on safer and more fuel efficient vehicles, cost savings from extending the lease-life of IT infrastructure, and reducing the dependency of offshore island infrastructure on diesel fuel by developing off-grid solutions such as solar, wind, and mini-hydro. An optimisation programme is under development in the Natural Heritage and Destination Management sectors of the Department aimed at ensuring funding is focused on the priority areas of work, and that this also results in increased achievement of outcomes over the medium term in these two areas. The Department has also commenced a Prioritising for the Future programme aimed at increasing effectiveness over time by shifting more of its funding into operations. This is at the scoping stage. 2. On an ongoing basis there are significant funds transferred from year to year (expense transfers). These transfers impact a number of appropriation categories as noted above, such as Management of Natural Heritage, Management of Recreational Opportunities, and Identification and Implementation of Protection for Natural and Historic Places. These transfers are mainly explained as being necessary due to time needed to consult, negotiate etc. for the establishment of projects and community programs. Are there any administrative or operational process changes that could be made in future to improve the accuracy of the timing of fund allocations and reduce the need to ongoing fund transfers? For the Departmental Output Expenses including Management of Natural Heritage and Management of Recreational Opportunities, the expense transfers are only 1.33% of the total. This is considered small given that the Department s work often requires working with external parties, negotiation, or is weather dependent. For non-departmental appropriations many of the expense transfers result because the expenditure is multi-year in nature. For example, the Answers to Further Questions 2010/11- Estimates for Vote Conservation 1

2 NZ Biodiversity Funds expenditure is often not incurred until applicants fulfil certain milestones as agreed (which themselves can be delayed due to weather, etc). Funding is mostly allocated on a three year rolling basis and funding is paid when the milestones are completed (over the three year period). Appropriations funding the purchasing of land are dependent on suitable land being available and negotiating an acceptable price. The approach taken is to avoid poor quality expenditure, even if this may result in expense transfers. Discussions have been held with the Treasury as to whether different forms of appropriation may be suitable, such as multi-year appropriations, but the approach agreed has been to continue using annual appropriations, which provide greater scrutiny and accountability. Are there any impacts on service levels as a result of the expense transfers? Generally the Department delivers its services in accordance with its output plan. The impact of expense transfers on the level of service delivery is minor. 3. What specific work is being undertaken to ensure, and to assess, that the impact of the increased commercial and revenue generation focus is balanced against core conservation values, particularly the 100% pure and clean green branding that is so integral to the New Zealand tourism industry? One of the key objectives of the Commercial Business unit is to enable business opportunities consistent with conservation to raise New Zealand's prosperity. The commercial focus is not balanced against the core conservation work but rather it is designed to contribute to more conservation work being done. The yet to be appointed Director of the Commercial Business Unit will be working with the team and executives to build productive business partnerships that deliver these conservation gains. Current examples of business investment in conservation BNZ Save the Kiwi Trust - kiwi Bank of New Zealand has contributed more than $6 million towards the Kiwi Recovery Programme since In addition to its sponsorship of Bank of New Zealand Kiwi Recovery Trust, Bank of New Zealand funds the Trust s full-time Executive Director as well as administrative and promotional costs. This means all money raised can go directly to kiwi breeding, protection and translocation programmes. Answers to Further Questions 2010/11- Estimates for Vote Conservation 2

3 Real Journeys whio, kiwi and bat research Te Anau based, award winning Southern Region tour operators. Donates a portion of it s cruise fare revenue towards a variety of conservation projects within the region. Every year it contributes over $ to conservation projects through a $1 levy on passengers using it s Doubtful Sound operations alone. The company also supports blue duck recovery programmes, native bat research, staff voluntarily check stoat lines, sponsor kiwi transfer operations and monitor marine mammal sightings in the Fiordland waters Birdsong Trust predator control and restoration The Birdsong Trust was set up by major water taxi and kayak companies operating in the Abel Tasman National Park in 2007 to raise, manage and distribute funds for conservation programmes in the park. It aims to fill the beaches and forests with birdsong by voluntarily collecting a levy from water operators for every passenger they carry. This money, currently worth about $20, 000 a year, pays for predator control and restoration programmes particularly in relation to Adele Island within the Park. The trust funds stoat and rat trapping operations and also helping in the translocation of robins and rare birds on Adele Island. Wairaurahiri Jets stoat traps Tuatapere based jet boat tour operators who run stoat traps and take tourists on trips on the Wairaurahiri River to clear stoat trapping lines in the Fiordland National Park. Over 500 rats and stoats caught with over 60 traps set at a cost of around $250 per trap. Rio Tinto Kakapo Recovery Programme Starting as a project to encourage recycling aluminium over twenty years ago, Rio Tinto has now injected more than $3 million dollars towards breeding programmes and predator proof sanctuaries to help pull the world s largest parrot back from extinction. This is one of the Department s longest running conservation partnerships and has helped more than double the number of kakapo alive in little over a decade ago. cle&id=120-rio-tinto-alcan-nz&catid=44&itemid=198 Mitre 10 Takahe Rescue Started in 2005, Mitre 10 contributes about $ a year in sponsorship and fund-raising towards the Department s Takahe Recovery Programme. The support helps fund egg recovery, breeding programmes and stoat control in the remote Murchison Mountains for one of New Zealand s rarest birds with a population of around birds. Answers to Further Questions 2010/11- Estimates for Vote Conservation 3

4 Black Cat Cruises Hector s dolphins, penguins and replanting A Banks Peninsula based eco-tour and cruise operator Black Cat also donates a portion of its revenues about $ a year - to dolphin and community conservation programmes. These range from projects to help protect the Hector s Dolphin, penguins, and the replanting of Quail Island in Lyttelton Harbour. 4. The Performance Improvement Actions (PIAs) have been set as medium term goals. What is the specific timeframe for the completion of these actions and what process has been established to evaluate whether the PIAs have been successful? Three Performance Improvement Actions have been identified in the Department. i. The development and implementation of a new commercial model. This Performance Improvement Action has commenced with the establishment of a Commercial Business Unit in the Department. Once the Unit Manager is appointed work will begin on developing the commercial model underpinning the work of the Unit. ii. Implementing optimisation of species and ecosystem management within existing funding. Development work on the species optimisation approach has been completed and implementation will begin in the 2011/12 financial year. Development work on optimisation of ecosystems has commenced and is likely to be completed by December iii. Developing and implementing optimisation within visitor management to reprioritise funding to areas of highest demand. Development work has begun on identifying the range of visitor sites that will form part of the optimisation approach. This initial development work is likely to be completed by December Evaluation processes are discussed in the answer to question Will the evaluation process include an assessment of the contribution of the PIAs to the government s drivers of growth? The Performance Improvement Actions (PIAs) are a medium-term programme with performance metrics that will be reported on regularly over the next 3 years. With the state sector representing about a quarter of economic activity in New Zealand the department recognises it, along with all public services agencies, does has a role to play in improving productivity. All three PIA s are aimed at improving the value out of the tax-payers dollar invested in conservation. This is in line with the Government s focus on improving the public spending by Answers to Further Questions 2010/11- Estimates for Vote Conservation 4

5 delivering better, smarter services within limited funding, and an ongoing focus on shifting more resources to frontline services. They will also support increasing tourism by focusing on improving recreation opportunities. While the PIA programme has not yet progressed to the stage of considering what overall evaluation process will be followed it is highly likely it will focus on evaluating improvements to productivity, and enabling business opportunities, consistent with conservation, to raise New Zealand s prosperity both part of the Governments 6 main drivers of economic growth 6. Why does arresting biodiversity decline not appear in the Minister s list of priorities in the Statement of Intent given that this is the International Year of Biodiversity and it is widely recognised that New Zealand has a major biodiversity challenge? The Minister of Conservation recognises the significance of biodiversity to New Zealand s future and the extent of the challenges facing indigenous biodiversity, as outlined in the Minister s foreword to the Statement of Intent Generating increased resources for conservation and increased recognition of, and support for, the importance of biodiversity to New Zealand s prosperity are key motivations behind the Minister s priorities for the Department. The Minister s priority of establishing a Commercial Business Unit within the Department is expected to bring about biodiversity gains through increasing the resources available for conservation. This will come about, in particular, through building productive business relationships that can deliver both commercial and conservation gains, and through increasing revenue flows from commercial activity. In addition, the Kauri National Park, afforestation for carbon credits, and the review of tax laws for conservation on private land are all designed to benefit our indigenous biodiversity. One of the performance improvement actions (PIAs) that the Minister has set for the Department is the ongoing development of the natural heritage management system (NHMS). As outlined in the Statement of Intent at section 2.1.1, NHMS is progressively improving the Department s ability to identify and deliver the natural heritage work that will provide better conservation returns for available resources. 7. How do the Minister s nine priorities relate to the six functions of the Department under the Conservation Act 1987? The Minister s priorities are all set within the context of the statutory framework within which the Department operates, and the role of the Department as a Crown department that contributes to whole of Government exercises in response to the priorities of the Government of the day. The priorities all relate to section 6(a) which requires the Department to manage public conservation land, water and other resources for conservation Answers to Further Questions 2010/11- Estimates for Vote Conservation 5

6 purposes, as defined at section 2. Some of the priorities also relate specifically to additional functions. As outlined above, the establishment of a Commercial Business Unit is one of the ways in which the Department seeks to generate greater resources and greater support for conservation, consistent with section 6(b) and (c) in relation to advocating and promoting the benefits of conservation. The Commercial Business Unit also supports the Department s role in relation to tourism under section 6(e). The development of cycleways and camping grounds relates specifically to section 6 (e) with respect to recreation and tourism. As well as contributing to conservation purposes, as required by section 6(a), the development of the Kauri National Park will contribute to both recreation and tourism, and build wider support for conservation. The carbon credits and carbon farming opportunities will provide additional resources to enhance indigenous forests, consistent with management for conservation purposes, while also contributing to wider whole-of-government initiatives. Working with the Ministry for Economic Development to review mining access to areas of conservation land relates to the role of the Minister of Conservation in granting or declining access to minerals on public conservation land. This is a role of the Minister of Conservation under the Crown Minerals Act The work with the Inland Revenue Department, to review the application of tax laws for conservation work on private land, is designed to encourage protection of conservation values on private land. This is in line with section 6(b), to advocate the conservation of natural and historic resources generally. The contributions to phase two of reforms of the Resource Management Act are part of a whole-of-government process which, amongst other things, is aimed at improving the effectiveness and efficiency of the Department s concessionsprocessing, thus improving the Department s overall performance of its functions under the Conservation Act Why is the Government's goal of "economic growth" at the forefront of her Statement of Intent when, as Minister of Conservation, her primary role under the Conservation Act 1987 is to protect our natural heritage? The Statement of Intent is focussed on conservation and the benefits it delivers to New Zealanders. Section 3, Operating intentions, specifies the intermediate outcomes or specific areas in which the Department aims to make an impact, and the work that the Department will do towards those intermediate outcomes. These are: Answers to Further Questions 2010/11- Estimates for Vote Conservation 6

7 The diversity of our natural heritage is maintained and restored. Our history is protected and brought to life. More people participate in recreation. More people engage with conservation and value its benefits. More business opportunities delivering increased economic prosperity and conservation gain. Statutory obligations and other government functions are met. The central premise is that conservation is an economic and social investment. Recognising and building on mutual benefits for conservation, businesses, and all New Zealanders will generate greater resources for, and commitment to, conservation, and contribute to New Zealanders prosperity and wellbeing. 9. Has she received any advice that suggests that the most recent Statement of Intent accords with her statutory responsibilities laid out in the Conservation Act 1987? The Minister has not received any legal advice on the Statement of Intent Consideration of the statutory responsibilities of the Department and the Minister of Conservation is embedded in the Department s work, and in the directions and the work outlined in the Statement of Intent How will budget cuts, mining in Schedule 4 areas, and a new focus on commercialisation impact on the conservation of our native biodiversity? It should be noted that in Budget 2010 the conservation baseline level was maintained. Changes to the baseline from Budget 2009 have not had and are not expected to have a dramatic impact on natural heritage conservation because the Department is continuing to pursue operational efficiencies, to release resources to front-line delivery. Specific efficiency measures include switching to more efficient control techniques: for example, replacing broadscale toxic bait application to prevent possum browse of mistletoe with individual cages for each plant. The cycle times of maintenance operations are being extended for operations such as re-treatment of wilding pine sites and return time for aerial possum control. Any re-infestation is managed through greatly reduced mop-up operations if required during the intervening period. The extent of control operations is subject to review and refinement. For example, parcels of land normally treated by ground control are being combined to create larger areas that can be more efficiently treated by aerial methods. Efficiency is also enhanced by co-operating with other agencies to maintain pest treatment through joint operations. An example is Kia Wharite, a joint Department/Regional Council operation in Wanganui funded equally by both parties. Answers to Further Questions 2010/11- Estimates for Vote Conservation 7

8 The Department is also looking to manage fiscal pressures by seeking efficiencies in overhead costs, in particular through the work streams of the prioritising for the future programme, as outlined at p12 of the Statement of intent. As resources are released through these work streams they will be reprioritised into front-line delivery. Over the longer term, the ongoing development of the natural heritage management system (NHMS) is progressively improving the Department s ability to identify and do the natural heritage work that will provide better conservation returns for available resources. Mining and mining exploration are specifically prohibited from Schedule 4 land (other than for low impact activities). The current stocktake and review of Schedule 4 is designed to determine if some areas should be removed and some added to the Schedule. This is a statutory process under the Crown Minerals Act. Decisions have not yet been made on the consultation proposals. For any public conservation land not on Schedule 4, applications to enter them for mining must meet a range of requirements under the Resource Management Act and the Crown Minerals Act. The Minister of Conservation is responsible for considering any access arrangement requests from mining interests. In so doing, she must have regard to a number of matters including the impact any mining related activity would have on the purpose for which the land is held and the extent to which the activity fits the objectives of the Act under which the land is administered. The development of the Commercial Business Unit is expected to benefit biodiversity through generating greater resources for conservation, and by broadening the support base for conservation through wider recognition of the links between conservation and successful businesses, and of the economic value that flows from conservation-based business. A wider range of people will have a stake in conservation, and conservation management will benefit from the different ideas and initiatives likely to come from increased interactions with the commercial sector. 11. How will the reclassification of 202 plant and bird species originally classified as "acutely threatened" or "chronically threatened" to a lower security classification impact on the amounts spent on biodiversity protection? While the status of some species has improved, the status of others has deteriorated. Further, some changes in status are not changes at all but are due to revisions of categories used in the NZ Threat Classification System; other changes are the result of improvements in knowledge. Since the last listing, there has been a marked increase in the number of plants listed as threatened (from 122 to 180) and for birds 19 genuinely improved in status and 13 genuinely deteriorated. While the Department will continue to monitor closely changes in the status of threatened and at risk species, decisions on the amount spent on biodiversity Answers to Further Questions 2010/11- Estimates for Vote Conservation 8

9 protection will be informed by the Department's natural heritage management system (NHMS), which will rank species and ecosystem projects according to the best combination of what is most urgent, most unique, most cost-effective, and has the best chance of success. 12. How many hectares are projected to be animal pest controlled in the budgeted years (current and out years), and how does this compare to the previous five years? Animal Pest Control Year Ending Possums (ha) Goats (ha) Deer (ha) Actual June Actual June Actual June Actual June Actual June Budget June Budget June Notes:Possums, Deer, and Goats are the only animal pests reported on a per hectares basis excludes Other Terrestrial Animal Pests and Aquatic Animal Pests 13. What is the budgeted spend on animal pest control in the budgeted years (current and out years), and how does this compare to the previous five years? Animal Pest Control Year Ending Animal Pest Control $000 s Actual June ,733 Actual June ,737 Actual June ,944 Actual June ,879 Actual June ,321 Budget June ,120 June 2011 Not available Notes: (1). The 2009/10 financial data is budget data not actual as the financial year has not yet finished and actual expenditure is not yet available; (2). 2010/11 budgets are not yet loaded into the Department s finance system this means it is not possible to give a figure that is comparable to previous years which use a fully allocated model (i.e., overheads applied to all outputs) Answers to Further Questions 2010/11- Estimates for Vote Conservation 9

10 14. How many hectares are projected to be plant pest controlled in the budgeted years (current and out years), and how does this compare to the previous five years? Plant Pest Control Year Ending Plant Pest Control (ha) Actual June Actual June Actual June Actual June Actual June Budget June Budget June What is the budgeted spend on plant pest control in the budgeted years (current and out years), and how does this compare to the previous five years? Plant Pest Control Year Ending Plant Pest Control $000 s Actual June ,165 Actual June ,771 Actual June ,762 Actual June ,316 Actual June ,270 Budget June ,811 Budget June 2011 Not available Notes: (1). The 2009/10 financial data is budget data not actual as the financial year has not yet finished and actual expenditure is not yet available; (2). 2010/11 budgets are not yet loaded into the department s finance system this means it is not possible to give a figure that is comparable to previous years which use a fully allocated model (i.e., overheads applied to all outputs) 16. What is the budgeted spend on recreational tracks and huts in remote or backcountry areas, as opposed to tourism or front-country areas, in the budgeted years (current and out years), and how does this compare to the previous five years? The Department s finance system is not able to provide financial data on the basis of backcountry or front-country areas. The destination management framework is currently being developed to help the department be more focused in its efforts to grow people s participation in tourism and outdoor recreation on public conservation lands and waters generally. In this way the focus of investment will be on places that are popular or have the potential to be popular, and thus provide more benefits to New Zealanders through economic Answers to Further Questions 2010/11- Estimates for Vote Conservation 10

11 growth from tourism, and increased health and wellbeing for those who participate. 17. What consultation has the Department undertaken concerning helihunting, and what have been the results of that consultation? The Department has had direct discussions with the NZ Professional Hunting Guides Association, NZ Deerstalkers Association, Game and Forest Foundation, Southern Aerial Operators Association, Safari Club International, Forest and Bird Protection Society, NZ Conservation Authority and others. A February 2010 meeting was held with a wide range of stakeholders. The Department s website since December 2009 has been used to inform the public about the activity of heli-hunting and to consult on where and how it should happen. More information was posted this month to update the public on progress with these issues. The feedback from this consultation has been unanimous opposition to the activity of visiting hunters shooting their trophy animals from the helicopter while it is in flight; significant opposition to the herding of trophy animals; and qualified support for the use of helicopters to locate trophies and then drop off the client and guide so that they can continue their hunt on foot. The places where heli-hunting occurs are also highly contentious. 18. What plans does her Government have concerning heli-hunting - what types of operation and where - and what are her reasons for allowing these? Sixteen applications have been received to undertake heli-hunting on public conservation land in the South Island. Those applications will be processed according to the current legislation, General Policies (Conservation Act, National Parks Act, and Wilderness Policy), conservation management strategies and the relevant national park management plans. The applications are currently with the conservation boards and runanga for consultation. After that the applications will be publically notified. That is expected to occur within the next few months. Any person can submit on the applications and have their views heard by a panel, before a decision is made by the decision maker. The Department will not be able to impose conditions that are not sanctioned by the statutory framework within which these applications fall to be considered. This means the Department will not be able to prohibit the shooting of trophies from the helicopter or herding. The Department will continue to monitor the effectiveness of the current regulatory framework. 19. How will the conditions pertaining to heli-hunting operations be monitored? It is intended that heli-hunting concessions will have a number of conditions relating to where and when the activity takes place. The conditions will be monitored through a requirement to have GPS systems on board the helicopter that records where and when the helicopter has been operating. Helicopter Answers to Further Questions 2010/11- Estimates for Vote Conservation 11

12 operations are also observed by other operators, hunters and other recreational users. The Department receives information from these sources. Answers to Further Questions 2010/11- Estimates for Vote Conservation 12