8. Question No. 8—ConservationPAUL EAGLE (Labour—Rongotai) to the Minister of ConservationQuestion No. 8—Conservation8. PAUL EAGLE (Labour—Rongotai) to the Minister of Conservation: How has Jobs for Nature supported local communities with employment opportunities and conservation efforts? [Interruption]SPEAKER: Is the House telling us that we don't want to hear?Hon Paul Goldsmith: No we don't want to hear.Hon Member: No not really. No.Hon POTO WILLIAMS (Minister of Conservation): Tēnā koe Mr Speaker.SPEAKER: I think we'll hear this in silence then.Hon POTO WILLIAMS: Jobs for Nature has supported dozens of communities up and down the country by investing in local projects that benefit the environment people and the regions. Last week I was in the Chatham Islands and met with the team working on the Jobs for Nature species and habitat restoration project a project that will create a safer habitat for our native wildlife through additional planting robust predator control across 2000 hectares and comprehensive habitat restoration. This wouldn't have been possible without the funding support provided through Jobs for Nature and will go a long way to help us achieve our Predator Free 2050 target.Paul Eagle: What other Jobs for Nature projects has she visited?Hon Paul Goldsmith: Save the Eagle!Hon POTO WILLIAMS: During Conservation Week I had the opportunity to visit the predator free team on the Miramar Peninsula which has been able to supercharge its efforts to help Aotearoa meet its Predator Free 2050 objectives. The project is also creating up to 40 employment opportunities on the peninsula and has seen over 10000 traps set up in backyards all over the city of Wellington.Paul Eagle: What are the benefits of supporting local communities to get involved in conservation efforts through Jobs for Nature?Hon POTO WILLIAMS: In order to achieve our predator free goals and implement Te Mana o te Taiao our national biodiversity strategy we need as many people across the country to get involved in our conservation efforts. That's why supporting local communities through Jobs for Nature to do trapping or planting is so important. These are projects that would either not go ahead or take much longer to implement without the support from Jobs for Nature.Chris Bishop: Are eagles a type of vulnerable and endangered species that the Jobs for Nature programme seeks to protect?Hon POTO WILLIAMS: It's clear that the National Party set up a programme called Predator Free 2050 and now consider that it is a complete waste of time. Because as the member said yesterday—as the member said yesterday—Jobs for Nature are a waste of taxpayers' money. The member Ms Willis said that in the House. How can the Government achieve the National Party's Predator Free 2050 targets without Jobs for Nature?Hon Michael Wood: Is it true that some—Chris Bishop: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. My question was about the status of eagles as vulnerable and endangered species and the Minister did not even mention the word eagle" in her answer.SPEAKER: Yeah and the member is in danger of losing a supplementary if he continues to take points of order that are clearly out of order. And the question was addressed.Hon Michael Wood: Is it true that some native species in the Hutt South area became extinct in late 2020?Hon POTO WILLIAMS: Yes.Paul Eagle: Turituri. How is Jobs for Nature supporting New Zealand's commitment to being predator free by 2050?Hon POTO WILLIAMS: New Zealand committed to Predator Free 2050 in 2016 and we've supercharged the efforts to reach that target through a number of Jobs for Nature projects. The results speak for themselves: Miramar Peninsula is now free of stoats weasels and Norway rats and there has been a massive 51 percent increase—[Interruption]—in the native bird population. I think it's clear that the National Party do not give a fig an eagle or an MP's proverbial for conservation where they laugh through this. They set the targets for Predator Free 2050 did not commit any funding to it and now make jokes of the fact that there are 4000 people up and down the country who are planting trees doing predator-control work and are contributing to the conservation values of this country. Thank goodness they are because the National Party would not be able to go out and do their summer walks in the Great Walks without the work of Jobs for Nature doing the track maintenance and all the work that they like to engage in—but they clearly do not want to fund."