Hon Eugenie Sage
Minister of Conservation
8 December 2017 MEDIA STATEMENT
Support for community conservation goals
Conservation groups across New Zealand will benefit from $4.2 million in new funding grants announced today by
Conservation Minister Eugenie Sage.
Ms Sage made the announcement at Glenfalloch Woodland Gardens in Dunedin while visiting the Otago Peninsula Biodiversity
Trust, an outstanding example of community conservation work receiving a $100,000 grant.
“The DOC Community Fund is designed to provide community conservation and recreation groups with an all-important boost
to reach their goals for protecting native wildlife, restoring vital habitat and improving access to New Zealand’s
outdoors,” Ms Sage says.
“The Otago Peninsula Biodiversity Trust’s work is an inspiring example of community action, volunteers working with
farmers and other landowners to protect the Peninsula’s distinctive wildlife from predators.
“The richness of the peninsula’s biodiversity must be nurtured and protected. Yellow-eyed and little blue penguins make
their home here, and it has the world’s largest mainland albatross colony, as well as geckoes and invertebrates,”
To date the group has removed 12,600 possums through volunteer efforts, part of a programme to permanently reduce possum
numbers across the peninsula. This will improve forest health and increase the breeding success of bird, lizard and
insect populations.
The new Community Fund grant will allow the group to increase the number of volunteers and expand its predator control
efforts.
“Ultimately the Trust hopes to make the entire Otago Peninsula pest free – projects like this are crucial in helping our
native plants and wildlife thrive,” Ms Sage says.
Other recipients of this year’s funding include:
Project Crimson Trust - Trees That Count Community Partnerships ($300,000)
A conservation campaign to inspire New Zealanders to restore the environment, clean waterways, encourage native
biodiversity and make a tangible difference to climate change by planting millions of native trees.
Windy Hill Rosalie Bay Catchment Trust ($40,000)
Windy Hill Sanctuary’s objective is to sustain and improve the biodiversity of the south eastern end of Aotea/Great
Barrier Island with a particular focus on birds and be a working model of a community-based conservation project for
Predator Free 2050.
Te Rarawa Anga Mua - Warawara Titipounamu protection project ($106,700)
Warawara is home to the only mainland population of titipounamu/rifleman north of Te Aroha/Pureora and is under threat
from invasive predators. An intensive control programme is planned to protect and strengthen the population.
Pirongia Te Aroaro o Kahu Restoration Society - Re-establishing Kokako on Mt Pirongia ($40,000)
A project to re-establish kokako on Mount Pirongia and transfer 40 birds from Pureora and Tiritiri Matangi Island,
including birds descended from kokako that were removed from Pirongia in the 1990's.
For a full list of DOC Community Fund recipients, visit http://www.doc.govt.nz/get-involved/funding/doc-community-fund/successful-applications/
ends