Wellington will spearhead the next phase of the Government's Predator Free 2050 strategy, with the capital set to receive a $5.5 million funding boost to scale up predator elimination efforts.
Conservation Minister Tama Potaka said the next phase of the programme would shift from smaller, community-led projects to targeting predator elimination across larger urban areas.
“In Wellington Te Whanganui-a-Tara, that means extending predator control across the whole city, with more traps, more monitoring, and more action on the ground to bring back native wildlife and strengthen the city’s appeal as a destination," Potaka said.
“This is a coordinated push across the whole city. Practical action that people will notice in their neighbourhoods, with more native species returning and thriving."
The funding, delivered over five years through the Department of Conservation, will target introduced predators across 18,500 hectares.
More than 200,000 residents and 20,000 businesses are expected to benefit from the expanded effort.
Potaka said the move builds on more than 9000 community trapping projects already operating nationwide, as well as larger-scale programmes "already delivering results".
“Wellington Te Whanganui-a-Tara already attracts visitors, and as native wildlife returns, it opens up opportunities to grow conservation-based tourism, supporting local businesses and jobs," he said.
"This phase focuses on predator elimination that can work at scale in towns and cities, creating a model that can be applied across New Zealand over time.
"We are committed to backing our environment and economy at the same time."
Announced in 2016, the government's Predator-Free 2050 strategy focuses on the eradication of possums, rats, stoats, ferrets, weasels, and feral cats across New Zealand.
SHARE ME