Willow-Jean Prime’s stream planting prompts check on how the govt is going with its One Billion Trees programme
Point of Order’s monitors of ministerial announcements, pronouncements and what-have-you detected just two press statement on the government’s official website today.
The Attorney-General, David Parker, has appointed a new High Court judge and the Minister of Conservation, Willow-Jean Prime, kicked off Conservation Week 2023 at a South Auckland stream restoration project.
A tree planting at the Puhinui restoration event is one of dozens scheduled around the country over Conservation Week.
No data are provided to tell us how much is being spent on this and the other projects, but the press statement says the Puhinui urban regeneration project is delivered through the Sustainable Business Network. It aims to rejuvenate the entire stream and its catchment, addressing a range of ecological, economic and social issues.
The Government has supported this through $1 million in Jobs for Nature funding, providing 12.5 Full Time Equivalents over two years
More than 65 events are scheduled across the country, including a weed workshop in Blenheim, planting days in Cromwell, Dunedin and Hawkes Bay, a fungi walk in Arthur’s Pass National Park, and a film festival on Waiheke Island.
The statement can be found here –
No data are provided to tell us how much is being spent on this and the other projects, but the press statement says the Puhinui urban regeneration project is delivered through the Sustainable Business Network. It aims to rejuvenate the entire stream and its catchment, addressing a range of ecological, economic and social issues.
The Government has supported this through $1 million in Jobs for Nature funding, providing 12.5 Full Time Equivalents over two years
More than 65 events are scheduled across the country, including a weed workshop in Blenheim, planting days in Cromwell, Dunedin and Hawkes Bay, a fungi walk in Arthur’s Pass National Park, and a film festival on Waiheke Island.
The statement can be found here –
Latest from the Beehive
14 AUGUST 2023
Christchurch King’s Counsel Lisa Charlotte Preston has been appointed a Judge of the High Court, Attorney‑General David Parker announced today.
The importance of working together for the environment was highlighted today as Minister of Conservation Minister Willow-Jean Prime kicked off Conservation Week 2023 at a South Auckland stream restoration project.
Mention of Willow-Jean Willow being engaged in a bit of tree-planting – rather than digging herself out of trouble in Parliament – reminded Point of Order of the government’s much-trumpeted One Billion Trees programmed.
A visit to the Ministry for Primary Industries website brought us up to date.
For starters, we were reminded that the One Billion Trees Fund has been closed for applications for some time.
But the One Billion Trees programme will continue until 2028 for grants that have already been approved.
As at 31 July 2020, the value of partnership-funded projects is $67,138,452.
As at 6 January 2021, the total value of grants-funded projects is $67,288,134 across 582 approved applications.
So far,so good – but to what effect have those millions of dollars been dispensed?
The One Billion Trees Fund has directly funded 42,643,000 trees for planting between 2018 and 2028. 80% are native species and 20% are exotic species.
But that doesn’t account for all the plantings.
Information about the number of trees planted as of 28 February this year showed the total number of trees planted is 474,059,000.
The number of tree seedlings to be planted is 120,000,000. (The seedling number is a provisional estimate that will be updated once the results of both the exotic and native nursery survey results are available and the impact of Cyclone Gabrielle on nursery capacity has been assessed.)
Point of Order is a blog focused on politics and the economy run by veteran newspaper reporters Bob Edlin and Ian Templeton
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