Hereora Dave: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Hereora Dave: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:624;Page:19367] 
8.  
DAVE HEREORA (Labour) 
 to the  
Minister of Conservation 
: Has he received any reports that indicate that the focus of the Department of Conservation should be to protect New Zealand’s unique flora and endangered species; if so what do they say? 
Hon CHRIS CARTER (Minister of Conservation) 
: 
 Yes I have seen a report promoting a major review of the Department of Conservation which states that the department should concentrate on the protection of endangered species. There was no mention of the department’s critical role in providing recreational opportunities including camping as one of the objectives of the proposed review. That appears to be in direct conflict with the policy released over the weekend that the Department of Conservation should create 25 new camping grounds. That flip-flop of ideas came from Dr Brash and the National Party. 
Dave Hereora 
: What steps have been taken to enable the Department of Conservation to carry out its key functions better? 
Hon CHRIS CARTER 
: There was a major funding increase for the Department of Conservation in the 2000 Budget for biodiversity conservation. Again in 2002 a budget of $349 million was provided to maintain and upgrade recreational facilities on public conservation land. Those included huts tracks and the 235 camping grounds located on public conservation land. 
Simon Power 
: Does the Minister stand by his statement that Dr Brash’s plan for opening new camp grounds is “not a bad idea”; if so what does that say about this Minister’s priorities when he has allowed the Department of Conservation to close four camp sites while at the same time allowing it to acquire almost 350000 hectares of land through the tenure review process despite the fact that last year the department failed to meet 21 out of 35 of its self-imposed natural heritage targets and failed to protect over two-thirds of New Zealand’s chronically threatened species? 
Hon CHRIS CARTER 
: I would like to remind that member that the Department of Conservation manages almost 250 camping grounds. It did close four small camping grounds: one at Lake Waikaremoana which was flood prone; one in North Canterbury which had no people using it; one at Haast Pass where there was another one right next door; and one at Boyd Creek near Te Anau where there was also another one right next door. [ 
Interruption 
] 
Madam SPEAKER 
: The member’s question will be heard in silence. 
Jeanette Fitzsimons 
: Has the Minister received any reports of proposals to legislate away his department’s power to advocate for conservation including in resource management plan and resource consent hearings and does he think that the Department of Conservation’s ability to protect New Zealand’s unique flora and fauna would be enhanced by that United Future policy? 
Hon CHRIS CARTER 
: Yes I have heard of proposals along those lines including National’s policies of doing much the same thing as that. There appear to be many contradictions in those policies which would go a long way towards undermining the fine work that the Department of Conservation does in managing not just biodiversity values but also recreational opportunities for all New Zealanders. 
Larry Baldock 
: Would the Department of Conservation’s statutory obligations to protect endangered species not be enhanced considerably if the department were to develop greater cooperative pest control strategies with members of the new possum recovery industry like Mr Bassett-Smith in Whakatane who cannot fill the orders for tonnes and tonnes of possum pet food from the US and Japan because the increasing use of 1080 poison is limiting the areas that he can recover possums from; or is this Minister opposed to valuable export dollars being earned instead of taxpayer-funded dollars being poured into a black hole to pay for poison in this country? 
Hon CHRIS CARTER 
: As Minister of Conservation I am committed to the protection of our native biodiversity. As a consequence I will not encourage possum farming. 
Larry Baldock 
: How does the Department of Conservation reconcile its focus on protecting New Zealand’s endangered native species with the fact that the increasing widespread aerial application of 1080 poison kills a multitude of native wildlife each year including endangered native birds and how can it be that one individual citizen in New Zealand would be prosecuted by the department for killing one native bird yet the Minister can openly admit that his department kills many native birds with 1080 poison every year; does that sound like one law for all in this country? 
Hon CHRIS CARTER 
: The member’s allegations about the impact of 1080 poison on native species are incorrect. What is quite clear from the scientific evidence is that there is a very rapid recovery in indigenous species when possums and other pest species are reduced.