3. Pest Control—Predator Free New Zealand 2050KEVIN HAGUE (Green) to the Minister of ConservationPest Control—Predator Free New Zealand 20503. KEVIN HAGUE (Green) to the Minister of Conservation: What advice has she received on the total funding that will be required to achieve a predator-free New Zealand by 2050?Hon MAGGIE BARRY (Minister of Conservation): I have received advice from the Department of Conservation (DOC) that costs out our ability to make parts of New Zealand including various islands predator-free and for us to take a staged approach. DOC of course is internationally recognised for its ability to eradicate pests from islands. We have eradicated pests from more than 150 islands so far including Kāpiti Island Whenua Hou Little Barrier Island etc. Generally there is scientific consensus that this goal is achievable. Predator Free New Zealand has also been supported by philanthropists and others. So I have received very good advice that this excellent initiative which I am commending the Greens for supporting today will actually be achieved.Kevin Hague: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. That was a primary question on notice and it asked about the advice that she received. The Minister in her response has not answered the question about what that advice was.Mr SPEAKER: I absolutely agree with the member. The question has been on notice. The essence of the question is a dollar figure as to the total cost of the project. If the Minister cannot answer that I have no alternative but to give additional supplementary questions to Mr Hague but if the Minister wants to attempt to answer the question first I will reconsider after hearing the answer.Hon MAGGIE BARRY: There have been a number of estimates that have been put forward some of which are accurate some of which are building on suppositions. For example—Hon Member: Accurate according to whom?Hon MAGGIE BARRY: Well we think that they are accurate. At this stage when we look at how much it costs us to for example rid the Million Dollar Mouse from the Antipodes that is a million dollars and upwards. There are various studies—a $9.04 billion figure came through from Auckland University for example. That figure is based on the estimated highest-per-hectare cost of current eradication technology. It does not though take into account potential technological advances and it is really simply a scale-up of current methods that are used on islands.Kevin Hague: How much of the total funding required to achieve a predator-free New Zealand will the Government commit to providing?Hon MAGGIE BARRY: We have already committed $28 million of new money over 4 years. That is an initial start-up which comes in addition to the approximately $100 million that is paid out every year by various Crown entities to ensure that we can keep on top of the main three predators—the rats the stoats and the possums. What we have been looking for and have been very open about is that the investment that we are putting into science and technology and research is where the groundbreaking gains will be made. As I said 5 years ago this was not considered possible; now it is very much within reach and there has been universal approval from international agencies and others and just very recently today even from the Greens themselves.Kevin Hague: How can the Government guarantee that the predator-free target will be funded adequately when fully two-thirds of the funding will apparently come from the private sector and regional councils and the Government's own contribution will be entirely contingent on their decisions?Hon MAGGIE BARRY: I refute what the member has just said. Our initial contribution of $28 million is something we have put in to start the ball rolling and I think it is a significant investment from the Crown. We are committed to achieving this goal and this level of investment for example from other philanthropists. The member may not be aware but the NEXT Foundation has contributed $100 million over 10 years. Both of the Morgan foundations and the Tindall Foundation are all significant philanthropic groups that have contributed large sums of money because they believe in the vision. They believe in the notion that we can get rid of these eco-invaders that are eating our natural creatures—our birds lizards etc.—to the point of extinction. This is an achievable goal but I have always said from the start as did the Prime Minister that we will do it in collaboration—we will all do it together. We are also putting money into a community fund. For example Sir Owen Glenn has just contributed a good sum of money to our money. So it is going very well.Kevin Hague: Why should the public have any confidence that the Government is genuinely committed to the predator-free goal when another of its 2050 aspirational goals—halving greenhouse gas emissions by 2050—has actually seen emissions rise under her Government?Hon MAGGIE BARRY: I think that—comparing apples with pears in this space and moving quite a long way from the primary question aside—we are a Government that backs itself to succeed. The climate change initiatives are excellent—New Zealand is doing its fair share and there will be other announcements that our extremely capable Minister the Hon Paula Bennett will be making in due course around that—but for my part for Predator Free New Zealand which comes under the Department of Conservation the funding the resources and the level of energy commitment and expertise that is going in mean that it is achievable. If that member is so cynical why is it that the Greens have tried to insert themselves into Government policies? We are pleased that you are supporting it of course.Hon Gerry Brownlee: Does the Minister believe that the eradication of exhaust fumes from a very large number—tens of millions—of possums would make a difference to carbon dioxide emissions?Hon MAGGIE BARRY: The Minister makes an interesting point. His knowledge of possum dietary habits is perhaps greater than my own but obviously eradicating probably up to 10 million possums in this country could only help not only with our biodiversity but also with our gas emissions so I thank the member for the suggestion and that valuable point.Kevin Hague: Will she take up the Green Party's initiative of charging a taonga levy on overseas visitors to ensure a dedicated and substantial revenue stream for eliminating predators; if not why not?Hon MAGGIE BARRY: This really falls within the domain of the Prime Minister and Minister Bennett because tourism is their purview. I would really be very hesitant to say that you have to go into these things quickly. Clearly the Greens have just made it up on the back of an envelope—it is a very poorly thought through initiative. We on the other hand are doing some substantial gains. I would suggest that by doubling the tourism levy you run the risk of killing the goose that lays the golden egg. Tourism is now our biggest revenue earner over dairy. Why would you try to penalise people coming to this country who perhaps do not understand our environment—Mr SPEAKER: Order! The answer is significantly long enough.Kevin Hague: When will she take some action to advance the agreement her Government has already signed by the Prime Minister with the Green Party to develop pest control strategy together?Hon MAGGIE BARRY: Way before my time there was a memorandum of understanding between the Government and the Greens. There is no longer. Any so-called—Iain Lees-Galloway: What! A memorandum of understanding—were you married?Mr SPEAKER: Order! Mr Lees-Galloway—please a little less interjection so that I can hear the answer.Hon MAGGIE BARRY: So the Greens have no role to play in Government policy and Government initiatives—anything that we come with. Your support of Predator Free New Zealand after the event is welcome. It is good that you see sense at last as a party—not you" as in the Speaker but the Green Party which has such poor conservation and environmental records of its own. This is a desperate measure to insert yourselves into something that is not of your making.Ron Mark: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. In the spirit of the House we are enjoying these questions and answers at the moment. Could I move that you allocate another supplementary question to the Greens so that we can hear more from the Minister?Mr SPEAKER: Can I just suggest that the member make a point of studying the Standing Orders and Speakers' rulings a bit more frequently."