10. Question No. 10—ConservationCHLÖE SWARBRICK (Green) to the Minister of ConservationQuestion No. 10—Conservation10. CHLÖE SWARBRICK (Green) to the Minister of Conservation: What does Conservation Week – Te Wiki Tiaki Ao Turoa with its theme Nature needs us" aim to achieve?Hon EUGENIE SAGE (Minister of Conservation): This week we're celebrating the 50th anniversary of Conservation Week in New Zealand. It's a time to reflect on how far we've come with conservation and how much further there is to go. Conservation Week was started in 1969 by the scouting association who recognised the importance of giving nature a helping hand. Despite the work that so many are doing to try and protect and restore our indigenous species' habitats and ecosystems indigenous nature in our country is in crisis. We have almost 4000 species threatened or at risk of extinction including 90 percent of our seabirds 84 percent of our reptiles 74 percent of terrestrial birds 76 percent of freshwater fish and 46 percent of vascular plants. So nature needs more of us to provide a helping hand and to take action whether it's replanting stream banks taking children into nature monitoring species reducing fishing bycatch or controlling pests and predators so that our indigenous plants and wildlife can thrive.Chlöe Swarbrick: What have been some of the significant conservation achievements in recent years?Hon EUGENIE SAGE: Fifty years ago the Chatham Islands black robin the tīeke or saddleback and the kākāpō were on the verge of extinction with dangerously low numbers. Intensive conservation work and dedicated people have brought these precious birds back from the brink. This Government has funded the largest ever landscape-scale predator control of possums rats and stoats to cope with a big mast event to keep our native forests birds and wildlife safe. Takahē which were once thought close to extinction are now increasing in numbers to several hundred birds. We've got 45 islands in the Hauraki Gulf which are predator free. We've got the biggest addition to a national park in New Zealand's history; under this Government with 64000 hectares of land in the Mōkihinui catchment being added to Kahurangi National Park and I'm proud that this Government is investing in conservation with the two biggest increases in conservation funding in Budget 2018 and Budget 2019.Chlöe Swarbrick: What recent announcements have been made regarding kākāpō recovery?Hon EUGENIE SAGE: I'm delighted that thanks to the dedicated work of everyone involved in the Kākāpō Recovery Programme yesterday the adult population reached 213 birds—the biggest number of kākāpō in New Zealand in 70 years. That's a great milestone and I pay tribute to the dedicated work of everyone involved including Tane Davis and Ngāi Tahu Dr Andrew Digby and Deirdre Vercoe Daryl Eason and other Department of Conservation staff and the department's partners like Auckland Zoo and Dunedin's wildlife hospital and the many volunteers who are assisting them. Decades of work by many people have gone into achieving those 213 birds.Chlöe Swarbrick: What projects are likely to create significant conservation gains over the next 50 years?Hon EUGENIE SAGE: One is that more people recognise that nature is the heart of our success as a country and of our wellbeing and that they get involved in giving nature a hand. It's the projects we've seen with the last Government's Predator Free 2050 initiative. We have built on that. Now there are hundreds of New Zealanders all around the country involved in backyard trapping trapping on private land. It's ensuring that whānau hapū and iwi are able to practise kaitiakitanga on public conservation land in their use of natural and cultural resources. It's action in the marine environment to reduce the bycatch of sea birds of marine mammals and of seals and dolphins and it is establishing a represented network of marine protected areas given that less than 0.5 percent of our marine environment is currently protected in no-take reserves.Question No. 9 to MinisterHon DAVID PARKER (Minister for the Environment): I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I apologise for not doing this at the end of my question but I seek leave to table those three sets of documents mainly photographs: the first relating the Taieri River and the effect on kelp beds the second relating to the Ōreti estuary or the New River Estuary and related cockle beds and the third being the Otapiri Stream records.SPEAKER: As long as the member gives me an assurance they're not otherwise available on websites.Hon DAVID PARKER: Yes I can give that assurance.SPEAKER: Right.Hon DAVID PARKER: Well I can categorically give it in respect of the Taieri ones. In respect of these other ones so far as I'm aware and I'm pretty sure I'm right.SPEAKER: Right. Let's put the Taieri ones first. Is there any objection to those being tabled? There appears to be none.Documents by leave laid on the Table of the House.SPEAKER: We'll put the other four. Is there any objection to those being tabled? There appears to be none.Documents by leave laid on the Table of the House.KERMADEC OCEAN SANCTUARY BILLIntroduction and Setting Down for First Reading—Leave DeclinedHon Dr NICK SMITH (National—Nelson): I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. Given Conservation Week and the Minister's enthusiasm for marine protection I seek leave of the House for my member's bill the Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary Bill to be introduced and set down for first reading on the next members' sitting day.SPEAKER: Is there any objection to that course of action? There appears to be objection."