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.
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