Wagner Nicky: General DebateText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeWagner Nicky: General Debate[Sitting date: 21 October 2015. Volume:709;Page:7419. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]Hon NICKY WAGNER (Associate Minister of Conservation): I am delighted to talk about conservation the Bluegreens and why I believe we get the very best outcome for the environment and conservation when the Government and the community work together.New Zealanders are intrinsically linked to the environment. It is in our DNA and we are proudly protective of it. We enjoy spending time in the great outdoors at the beach in the mountains and enjoying the rivers and lakes and more and more often these days contributing to an environmental project is part of our kaupapa. National’s blue-green principles are close to our hearts and underpin the holistic view of New Zealanders that looking after the environment goes hand in hand with a healthy economy and the well-being and quality of life of all New Zealanders. More than a third of New Zealand’s land mass and of our marine environment especially since the announcement of the fabulous Kermadec sanctuary is now protected for its conservation values.Conservation boards represent the people of New Zealand and give us all a voice in the management of our public land and sea. Since our review in 2013 conservation boards have become more diverse and better connected to their communities. They work hand in hand with the Department of Conservation but their focus is strategic—on planning and management and encouraging as many New Zealanders as possible to get involved with environmental issues activities in national parks in conservation areas and community conservation initiatives—and thousands do; many thousands do.The Department of Conservation works with 1216 registered community conservation groups and they are involved in everything from killing pests monitoring birds planting projects research and generally contributing to better conservation outcomes. One of them is the exciting and high-profile Project Janszoon in the Abel Tasman National Park which has just recently won the highest award by the United Nations for community conservation and environment protection. That is a fantastic achievement on their part. But there are many many other groups that are much smaller and less high-profile but equally as important and valued in their communities.On top of that 15000 volunteers work with Department of Conservation - facilitated programmes and these numbers are growing every year. They are incredibly dedicated and hard-working people. Last year they contributed 30000 work days and again they do everything. They repair tracks trap pests and babysit seal pups as well as some of the less glamorous things such as administration and data entry.Over the last few months I have been visiting groups that the Department of Conservation has supported financially though the community conservation partnership grants. That is all about seed funding. It is about giving a kick-start to new community projects—conservation work that local groups want to get under way. It is based on a powerful community action model of encouraging local collaboration around a conservation campaign and delivering cumulative results—and it is brilliant.People involved can immediately see how they can make a difference and because they are working together they can see really meaningful results. A great example of that is the Brook Waimarama Sanctuary in Nelson. The Department of Conservation contributed $127000 to that as a kick-start but 37 other community groups including schools and the local council are getting involved and the project has morphed into a $500000 project connecting local communities. The aim of it in the short term is to increase the birdlife in the sanctuary and in the long term the aim is to deliver a halo effect for all the neighbours across the city. Conservation is good for New Zealand.